the last days of the romanovs-robert wilton and depositions of eye witnesses-1920-350pgs-pol

7/27/2019 The Last Days of the Romanovs-Robert Wilton and Depositions of Eye Witnesses-1920-350pgs-POL

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THE LASTDAYS OFTHEROMANOVS



CeDS^fight ; 1 t + i l 0 , The c1i a Orlii une C6-

body o#' "664't a t - ateYnburg ronowitw-u* sit .

t 3 t t u c h d a a , O l g a , o n e ot h e t i * t t e t t p lt i o o f t h e pi s . ce by t h e C38*sF indsugh , i r f ) he 4t" Ti. , 1 1 s d fame, o f w h o a e c m ' h*g Yurovau . ' *ed

throwgH H of thls Ct "k abosrd t k t a ;GlAltohekiit . the RedCtuntnltAeie er#,il>"i

Peni nsular t 4 t l e t l t e l i t h o r f l e y a h n a e n v r d i e r s t a r t h e , eY t e e a t i o n Z t f - t r i o i a z p c r l m l

r o u t e t o Ath eh 1 fbr tnuriai, weeording-t d fm tfy and th ei r att endsnte , on ' J t i 1 Y I T .

tritatworth r l i l t n t • n t a t i , p n t e a c h i n g M91ilia 1918, th e bog ie e we re tartan from Okle

t o day . Th e b o dy o f t h e G ra nd D u ch e s s ' s ;psttev heave, whe re the order tpas our-

ma1d was also' sai d to be on board ti tle ri gi d out, altd 'burled near txte 'rall*sy

sh ip .S t e

It is reported that th e bo'dtes werea - n i e b t q Trily 18 l}~ey we rethe mine # m In

inte rred from e, tntn ~ka f t a t k i k8 o t e r i ft l e r,Seey e

burg *rod si nug g3e dtn, llusAa to

e a 1 . . A, p i nhear en the Devaiinti

n r i d x ' t h e CeWnbt were carried on the

i+ls1p'b btt da4 liuasded by a det achment

-of loyalist Ruaaiari _troops and several

ibYi es ts of t h e re ek Orthodox C hut irh

T h e b odi e d .rrgre to be t ransferred frytn

t h e ~hna at C eL(nnbo to the ateeme ;

Caledonia and trailsb1pped at Port Sadfor Ath ens, the illtp"Yrant said .

&icordlng to th e meyeist I4et Ibns etxr

4i~cted ,by officials of th e ( r i s e n K e vern-

de a ed . t SThh

V e s t t t f c t u r s t e t et h e*Wtfound

i _-bt ilrnbll,' burned rldtbtiand soft d es of S e w t q S$ini1kr

)-eIlea were found in the tt 41lt'ir#orh

dilrtr4 i 'a'uac8t lr+g we]ti t

wh i ch were ldent i fled and so lvbtch

w*re not . 'Me Iced flag hothe lpati ev h ouse, and race

F3kate ritt burg have toulxd no

do s e s .

Co f f ins passing t h roug h ' t h ehave sot g o i ng rumors s19t S i ~rt t o t h e

s tory given in th e Manna dti wre t e lnit

1 i e natly without i ts details .



Imperial Fami ly

i n Valises to Paris

]Re Writes Press

w1 randDuke sAidFat e Unknown tossian Fighter Says

5 O , ' • by The Associated Press

l e . ' 24 .-In a let t er wri t t en

}land Gene ral Maurice J&ni n

f i v e , to Tiie Associated Press t h e

s tory ot'how the remains and

the' imperial Russian family

tto h is possession, how those in-,With their were shadowed by1 t 3`etalutionist a and /how, event-theywere brought safely ou t o f

u t i ® , t e g f d ;at S era Izard, nearthe Department of I se re , t he

o was- commander-in-,w~ h,40efe and Allied f ortes in

during t he ,Yphrld . War, wrote : ;

`imperial "Russian family, hadat Ekaterinburg on the,ot July 16 or 17, 1918. OnrJuly 25Bolshevik forces, grouped around

ftseCuch troops, occupied th at, town . ,'Ti" Glllard, former. t utor of th

;CYp~ :Czarevitcli, was th ere, and, withi#veYal others, he began a search of

t h a ; v i d n i t y to determine the fate ofnoffs An examining magis-

t named S e rch i e f , who was re placed

oral month s aft erward by Nicho las

was designated' to carry th e' i n -

tion th rough,,

Aide d Inquiry Into Assassination

:»y little it was 'eetabliahed b

'and how the assnsAnations hade s nun i t t e d Not far from ,Ekate r

the searchers discovered thet l r b odi e s h ad b e e t , , din

ad and burned wit h th 'e ` aid of

d and gasoline .nl4a ;, pit t he y found bits of

charred clothi ng, tragnents of bo ne

a r i n g f i r t i ~ e r A whi cls w#+! r poolidentifie d ai'that of the sprees .

"During t h e Kplrhak, government S o

koloff continied-~Is,inveet igh tionc .d€-

spi t e t h e h o s t ( f e +attit ude

of certain,

Ministers . H e was as s i s t e d by G e n e ral

Di edrichs until th 65gpneral became .com-

mander in C hie f t4 oft krc,unassist ed ."In the autumn of 1919, when col-lapse of the government at Omek be-came imminent, Sokoloff and I moved •

toward the East, taking with us every-thing th at he h ad discovered,, He toldme that he wanted to reach Europe,and' he traveled i r i a train protect ed by

Allied troops . The next t i me I saw h intwas in , Mayrch, 1920, at H arbin, whe re

Gene ral - l5ledriobs, aft er rep ig ning as

commander in Ch ie f, had 'Establishe d

h e adquart e rs i n the general retreat .

Turned Over to(era- nuke -Nicholas, 4"There was much uneasiness in the

reg ion, and . Di edrichs told - no t h a t . h e

wanted to. g e t , t h e Romanoi f remainsinto t h e possess i on of t h e Grand Mk q

Nicholas-as quickiy,as possible . He hadasked Brit i s h representat ives to t ake

charge of t his material, -but th ey were

re fused. authority by t hei r government," '

It was then, General Jaliin - wrote,

t h a t G e n e ral` D i e dri c h s as k e d h i m t o

take charge, of t h e relics and he ae-

cepted'becattse of hi s friendship for the '

Czar

"Di edrichs," th e letter continued,"brought me three valises containingdocuments -and various ot he r obie ots

in,t h e ni g h t . I t was dark and he said,

it had:, seemed to him and to th ose whoaccompanied him that they had beendiscovered and, followed. The next dayhe brought me a fourth valise, or to

speak ;exactly a-strong box, containing,human remains. "

The- general said his inventory showed

e

th e valises t o-contain, 911 articles, lipbrought them from Shanghai by beamshi p and reached Paris -i n June, 1920 .

He retained the . articles at him est ate

until October, 1920, when he turnedt h en-,over to a representat ive of t h e

Grand' D uke Nicholas .

"I h ave no knowledge wh atsoever of

what has become of those relic$,'!' the

ge neral wrote .

9

Baby Abaridoned = in AutomatA„baby boy, about a ye ar and a has

old, was lef t i n a chai r in an Autorestaurant at, 115 Fast FourteeStree t yesterday . P o li c e t o o k t h e

to th e foundling . ward at Belltvue

pital .



THE MARTYRED FAMILY



THE MARTYRED FAMILYI n t h i s g r o u p , p h o t o g r a p h e d f o u r y e a r s b e f o r e t h e i r

d e a t h , t h e T s a r , N i c h o l a s I I . , t h e Ts a r i t s a A l e x a n d r a

Feodorovna, and th eir youngest daught er, th e G rand

D u c h e s s A n a s t a s i a , a r e s e a t e d i n t h e c en t r e ; behind

the m stand (from lef t to righ t) the Grand Duchesse s

Marie , Olga and Tatiana . T h e T s a r e v i c h A l e x i s , t h e n

t e n y e a r s o l d , w e a r s a s a i l o r s u i t . Nicholas I I . i s i n

t h e u n i f o r m o f t h e F u s i l i e r G u a r d s . The moth er and

d a u g h t e r s h a v e o n s o m e o f t h e m a t c h l e s s p e a r l s a f t e r -

w a r d s s t o l e n f r o m t h e i r d e a d b o d i e s b y t h e m u r d e r e r s .



THELAST DAYSOF THEROMANOVS

From 15 th March, 19 17

Part I-THE NARRATIVEBYROBERT WILTON

Special Correspondent of The Times

Author of ' Russia's Agony'

Part II-THE DEPOSITIONS OFEYE-WITNESSES

THORNTON BUTTERWORTH LIMITED6z S T . MARTIN'S LANE, LONDON, W C . z



First Publishe d . . . Sept . X920



CONTENTSPART I

[continued overleaf

5

CHAP. PAGEI PROLOGUE . 13

I I . THE STAGE AND THE ACTORS 2 2

III No ESCAPE : ALEXANDRA MISJUDGED 30

IV RASPUTIN THE PEASANT39

V `THE TSAR IS INNOCENT' 4 7

VI EXILE IN SI BERIA . 55

VII MOSCOW AND BERLIN 6 5

VIII V I A C R U C I S . . 7 5

IX CALVARY . 85

X `WITHOUT TRACE' . 96

XI `MURDER WILL OUT' . 105

XII ALL THE ROMANOVS . 119

XIII THE JACKALS . 131

XIV BY ORDER OF THE ` TSIK ' 139

XV THE RED KAISER . 14 9

XVI EPILOGUE . . 156

THE STORYPART II

OF THE PUBLISHED DOCUMENTS 16 5

THE DEPOSITIONS OF COLONEL KOBYLINSKY 16 7



6 CONTENTS-PART II (continued)

PAGETHE DEPOSITION OF M. GILLARD 224THE DEPOSITION OF MR. GIBBES 242

THE EXAMINATION OF ANATOLY YAKIMOV 259

THE EXAMINATION OF PAVEL MEDVEDEV . 285

THE EXAMINATION OF PHILIP PROSKURIAKO\' 294

APPENDIX 309

LINE CUTS IN THE TEXTSKETCH MAP OF THE ROAD FROM EKATERINBURG TO Kop-TIAKI, SHOWING THE ROAD ALONG WHICH THE BODIESWERE CONVEYED AND THE GANINA MINE WHERE THEYWERE DESTROYED .

PAGE

107

PLAN OF IPATIEV'S HOUSE AND GROUNDS AND OF UPPERAND BASEMENT FLOORS .1 59

THE EMPRESS ALEXANDRA'S GOOD-LUCK SIGN . 1 6 o

THE MYSTERIOUS INSCRIPTION IN THE DEATH CHAMBER . 16o



LIS T OF ILLUSTRATIONSPLATEI THE MARTYRED FAMILY . Frontispiece

In thi s group, phot ographe d four years bef ore th ei r death ,

th e Tsar, Nicholas II, th e Tsarit sa, Alexandra Feodorovna, and

th ei r younge st daugh te r, th e Grand Duchess Anastasia, are seated

i n t h e c e n t r e ; beh ind them stand (from left t o right ) th e Grand

Duche sse s Maria, Olga and Tati ana . The Tsarevich Alexi s,

th en ten years old, wears a sailor suit . Nicholas II is in the

uniform of the Fusilier Guards . The mothe r and daught ers h ave

on some of t he matchless pearls afterwards stolen from th eir dead

bodies by t he murderers .

TO FACE PAGEII RASPUTIN-WOUNDED AT HIS VILLAGE HOME . . 40

Just bef ore the outbreak of host ilitie s in 1914, the ' s a i n t '

had bee n stabbed by a peasant gi rl who m he had wronge d, and

was bei ng nursed by his wi fe and daugh te rs at Pokrovskoe

(Tobolsk Province) . H e r e h e r e c e i v e d t h e o n l y l e t t e r t h a t h e e v e r

had from Nicholas II, and he re he boasted th at if he had been

in Petrograd at th e t ime, he would have st opped th e war .

Nicho las and Alexandra had no suspicio n th at ' Grishka ' was

a German age nt . On th is portrait th e ' saint' has inscribe d

s o m e o f hi s p i o u s r e f l e c t i o n s . 'Wh at of to- morrow ? Tho u art

our Guide, O God . How many Thorny paths i n thi s Life ?'

ALEXANDRA'S DESPAIR OVER RASPUTIN'S DEATH 40Facsimile of a lett er in whi ch th e Empress f or once bet rays

h e r f e e l i n g s . The closing sentence, written disjointedly, ref ers

to hi s 'murder,' wh ich occurred a week bef orehand, and her

anxiet y for th e safet y of the Tsar, showi ng that she knew of a

p l o t a g a i n s t h i s l i f e . ' Besides (everythi ng, try for a moment to

r e a l i z e w h a t i t i s t o k n o w a f r i en d i n d ai ly , hourly danger of also

bei ng foully murdered . But God i s all mercy . '

III PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN DURING THEIR CAPTIVITY . 56( a ) The Tsar sawing wood in the courtyard of th e Governor's

Palace, Tobolsk . I t i s w i n t e r . He wears th e papah a ( m i l i t a r y

fur hat) and fe lt boot s .

(b) The Empress Alexandra in the Governor's Palace, Tobolsk .

(c) The Tsarevich Alexis and his spanie l joy, in th e park at

Tsarskoe .

IV IPATIEV'S HOUSE IN EKATERINBURG 8o

This photog raph was taken i n May, 1918, directly afte r

th e arrival of Ni cholas, Ale xandra and Maria . Their gaolers

had had time to put up only the inner hoarding . The outer hoard-

ing, erected later, enclosed the gate way and approaches t o t h e

house . Machine-g uns were mounted at dif fe rent points wi th inthe enclosure and in th e g arret . Note t he shrine on the left .

THE CHAMBER OF DEATH . 8oA vaulte d semi-basement, 18 feet by 16 f e e t . Photographe d

from the spot whe re th e Ge rman, so-called ' L e t t , ' s o l d i e r s

s t o o d w h i l e f i r i n g t h e i r r e v o l v e r s . The Tsar and hi s son sat i n

th e centre of t he room and behi nd th em was the Empress, also

seated . The ot he r victi ms stood at t he f urth er wall .

7



8 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS (continued)

PLATE TO FACE PAGEV YANKEL (JACOB) SVERDLOV-THE RED TSAR . 88He org ani ze d t h e murder of th e Romanov family, and was

ki lled by Russian workmen .

He wears a short s hi rt and shabby overcoat .

Bolshe vism had ruined th e i ndustries of th e country .

Only the cap of expensive f ur befit s the hig h of fice of the

wearer . He was President of the ` T s i k , ' i . e. Prime Minister and

ruler of the Red Inquisit ion . He poses with his portfolio at the

entrance of his palatial offices in the Hotel Metropole in Moscow,

th e square in front of whi ch is named after him .

YANKEL YUROVSKY, THE MURDERER 88

He sh ot t he Tsar and th e Tsarevich with hi s own hand .

VI AT THE GANINA MINE . 104

On th e lef t, Mr. Sydney Gibbe s, the Tsarevich's tutor ; on the

righ t, looking down th e shaft , Mr . Robert Wi lton, The Times'

Spe cial Correspondent . At t he bot tom of thi s shaft was a false

floor, beneath wh ich th e ashes of th e victims were cunningly

concealed . The bo dies h ad bee n cut up near th e sh aft and

burned on two pyres, one next to th is spot .

THE PYRE AT THE BIRCH TREE .N. A . Sokolov, General Domontovich and hi s A .D . C . pose

at the limits of t he larger pyre, where most of t he bodies and

except M . Pierre Gi llard, the French tutor (in the centre), died

f o r t h e i r l o y a l t y t o t h e I m p e r i a l F a m i l y . Countes s He ndrykova is

seated on the right wit h Mlle . Schneider by her side . Their

mangled bodies w ere found outsi de Perm . Count Tatish chev

(left) and Prince Dolgoruky (rig ht ) ` disappeared' at Ekat erin-

burg . Two bodies, supposed to be th ei rs, were f ound outsi de

th e cit y, one bearing documents of'

citize n Dolgorukov . '

VIII THE FAULTS OF THE EARLIER INQUIRY . . 1 44N. A . Sokolov, pointi ng to t he wall of Ipatiev's house, calls

attention to a serious omission made by his predecessor . Ge neral

D i t e r i c hs ( s e a t ed ) l i s t e n s . The oth er auditor is M . Magnitsky,

Prokuror (Public Prosecutor) of th e Ekat eri nburg Court .

Photog raph taken in the g arden, besi de th e te rrace .

THE HAND OF THE RED JEW MURDERERS . 144A facsimile of the orig inal message fi led at the Ekaterinburg

Telegraph Offi ce by the local Soviet chi efs to t he Moscow Tsik

(Central Executive Commit te e) on July 4, 1918, twelve days before

th e murder . In it Beloborodov, th e Russi an ` dummy' pres ide nt,

informs Sverdlov th rough Goloshche kin th at Syromolotov i s

hast ening to Moscow to take t h e f i nal instructions for t h e

aff air' and that t he Russi an guards have bee n replaced by

o t h e r s , ' i . e . , by Ge rman soldiers .

104

cloth ing we re cremated . Alongside stands the tree wit h t he

t e l l - t a l e i n s c r i p t i o n .

VII RELICS FOUND NEAR THE PYRES . 128

(a) The Empress's great diamond pendant .

(b) Her pectoral cross, set wit h e meralds .

(c) One of t he Empress 's h uge pearl earrings .

`FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH' . 128This g roup was taken at Tobolsk during t he captivity . All



AN APPRECIATION AND A FORECASTWh at The Times s a y s r e g a r d i n g t h e t e r r i b l e s t o r y o f t h e m a r t y r -

dom of the Romanovs told by Mr . R o b e r t W i l t o n :-

NO comment can enhance the poignancy or add to t he

s i g n i f i c a n c e o f t h e t a l e . I t s s t o r y i l lu m i n a t e s , a s n o

o t h e r e p i s o d e i n t h e gh a s t l y a n na l s o f B o l s h e v i s m h a s d o ne ,

t h e r e a l n a t u r e o f t h e f or c e s t h a t h a v e r u i n e d R u s s i a , a n d t h a t

s t i l l h o l d he r i n t h e i r b l o o d y a n d t y r a n n i c a l g r i p . I t m a k e s

c l e a r t h e p u r p o s e f o r w h i c h G e r m a n y o r i g i n a l ly s e n t L e n i n

a n d h i s J e w i s h c o n f e d e r a t e s i n t o R u s s i a , a n d s h o w s h o w

t h o r o u g h l y t h a t purpose was achieved . I n c i d e n t a l l y i t

p l a c e s t h e c h a r a c t er s o f , t h e l a t e E m p e r o r N i c h o l a s a n d o f

t h e E m p r e s s A l e x a n d r a i n a n e w l i g h t , a n d p r o v e s t h e m t o

h a v e b e e n l o y a l t o t h e A l l i e s e v e n u n t o d e a t h . I t c l ea r s t h e m

o f m a n y f o o l i s h a n d o f s o m e f o u l a s p e r s i o n s , a n d w h i l e

i t r e v e a l s a t o n c e t h e i r s t r e n g t h a n d t h e i r w e a k n e s s , t h ei r

f o l l y a n d t h e i r v i r t u e s , b r i n g s h o m e t o t h e gu i l t y t h e g u i l t

f o r t h e i r d e a t h .

W h a t e v e r t r i a l s a n d c o n v u l s i o n s t h e f u t u r e m a y h o l d i n

s t o r e f o r t h e u n ha p p y R u s s i a n p e o p l e b e f o r e t h ey o n c e m o r e

a t t a i n t o t h e d i g n i t y o f o r d e r e d n a t i o n h o o d , w e b e l i e v e t h a t

t h e t r a g i c f i g u r e s o f t he la t e T s a r a n d T s a r i t s a w i l l s t e a d i l y

g r o w i n p u b li c e s t e e m a n d w i l l b e ck o n t h e i r p e o p l e o n t o a

r e c ov e r y o f s e l f - r e s p e c t a n d o f s e l f - c o nt r o l . B e f o r e t h a t g o a l i s

r e a c h e d, m a n y a t e r r i b l e r e ck o n i n g m a y h a v e t o b e p a i d ; f o r

w h e n a n a t i o n a w a k e n s t o a s e n s e o f t h e de g r a d a t i o n i n t o w h i c h

i t h a s f a l l e n , a l b e i t b y i t s o w n f a u l t a s m u c h a s t h r o u g h t h e

e v i l d e s i g n s o f o t h e r s , i t s p e n i t e n c e i s r a r e l y l i m i t e d t o a co n -

9



z o A FORECASTt r i t e c o nf e s s i o n of i t s o w n s h o r t co m i n g s . All Europe, indeed

t h e w h o l e w o r l d, i s i n t e r e s t e d i n t h e r e c ov e r y o f R u s s i a , f o r

u n t i l t h e r e b e a g a i n a R u s s i a , t h e r e c a n b e n o t r u e p e a c e i n

E u r o p e o r i n A s i a . B u t i t i s o f hi g h i m p o r t a n c e t ha t R u s s i a n

c o n v a l e s c e n c e s h o u l d n o t b e a c c o m p a n i e d b y f u r t h e r d e v a s t a -

t i n g c r i s e s , i f t h e y c a n b e a v o i d e d, o r b y o ut b u r s t s o f p o p u l a r

w r a t h , w h i c h , b y s e e k i n g t o a v e n g e u p o n t h e i n n o c e n t , o r

c o m p a r a t i v e l y i n n oc e nt , t h e s i n s o f t h e g ui l t y , m i g h t t e n d o nc e

a g a i n t o a l i e n a t e f r o m t h e R u s s i a n p e o p l e t h e s y m p a t h i e s o f

c i v i l i z e d h u m a n i t y . We trust that Our Correspondent's

n a r r a t i v e m a y s e r v e t o o p e n e y e s h i t h e r t o b l i n d , o r w i l f u l l y

c l o s e d , t o un p a l a t a b l e t r u t h s ; a n d t h a t i n f l u e n c e s w h i c h , b y

r e a s o n o f i n e r t i a o r i n d i f f e r e nc e , h a v e n ot y e t b e e n e x e r c i s e d ,

m a y e x e r t t h e m s e l v e s t o f o r e s t a l l p h a s e s i n t h e d r a m a o f

R u s s i a t h a t m i g h t c a u s e e v e n t h e s t o r y w e h a v e p u b l i s h e d

t o l o s e , b y c o m p a r i s o n , s o m e t h i n g o f i t s h o r r o r .



PUBLISHER'S ANNOUNCEMENTWo w e i t t o o u r r e a d er s t o e x p l a i n t h a t t h e c o n t en t s o f

~ / ~ /t h e f i r s t p a r t o f t h i s b o o k w e r e w r i t t e n w i t h o u t

k n o w l e d g e o f t h e e x i s t e n c e o f ' t h e t r a n s l a t i o n s c o n t a i n e d i n

t h e s e c o n d p a r t .

For `The Last Days of the Romanovs,' Mr . R o b e r t W i l t o n

w r o t e t h e s t o r y o f t h e i r m a r t y r d o m - h e h a d u n i q u e q u a l i f i -

c a t i o n s - o n f i r s t - h a n d i n f o r m a t i o n a n d o n t h e b a s i s o f d a t a

c o n t a i n e d i n t h e d o s s i e r i n R u s s i a n o f w h i c h h e p o s s e s s e s a

c o m p l e t e c o p y .

T h e t r a n s l a t i o n s o f M i n u t e s o f E v i d e n c e ( w h i c h f o r m t h e

s e c o n d ha l f o f t h i s v o l um e ) w e r e p u b li s h e d i n t he U n i t e d S t a t e sby M. G e o r g e T e l l b e r g , e x - M i n i s t e r o f j u s t i c e i n t h e O m s k

( K o l c h a k ) G o v e r n m e n t , q u i t e i n d e p e n d e n t l y . R e s p e c t i n g t h e s e

d e p o s i t i o n s , i t m a y b e s a i d w i t h o u t f e a r o f e x a g g e r a t i o n t ha t

n e v e r h a v e t h e y b ee n s u r p a s s e d i n t h ei r i n t r i n s i c i n t e r e s t o r

i n t h e m a n n e r i n w h i c h t h e y a r e p r e s e n t e d . M. S o k o l ov , t h e

i n v e s t i g a t i n g m a g i s t r a t e w h o e x a m i n e d t h e d e p o n en t s , i s e v i -

d e n t l y a m a s t e r o f h i s c r a f t .

I t w i l l b e s e e n b y co m p a r i n g t h e t w o p a r t s t h a t , s o f a r a s

t h e d e p o s i t i o n s h e r e p u b l i s h e d go , t h e y e n t i r e l y b e a r o u t a n d

g i v e , s o t o s p e a k , c h a p t e r a n d v e r s e f o r M r . W i lt o n ' s n a r r a -

t i v e ; a n d w e h a v e e v e r y r e a s o n f o r s t a t i n g t h a t , i f a n d w h e n

t h e r es t o f t he d os s i e r b e co m e s p u b li c , s i m i l a r a f f i r m a t i o n w i l l

b e g i v e n t o t h e w h o l e o f h i s t h r i l l i n g s t o r y , w h i c h p r e s e n t s

c l e a r l y , s u c c i n c t l y , a f u l l a n d a b s o l u t e l y a u t h e n t i c a c c o u n t o f

t h i s g r e a t h u m a n t r a g e d y - t h e g r e a t e s t p e r h a p s o f a l l t i m e .

1 1



CHAPTER IPROLOGUE

TH E t r u e s t o r y o f t h e m a r t y r d o m o f N i c h o l a s I I , e x - T s a r

o f R u s s i a , a n d o f h i s w i f e a n d f a m i l y c a n a t l a s t b e

t o l d .

I t i s b a s e d up o n e v i d e n ce o b t a i n e d b y a p r o p e r l y c on s t i t u t e d

l e ga l i n v e s t i g a t i o n . T h e s i g n e d d e p o s i t i o n s o f e y e - w i t n e s s e s

a r e i n t h e w r i t e r ' s p o s s e s s i o n , b u t h e d oe s n o t d i s c l o s e t h e

i d e n t i t y o f t h e d e p o n e n t s w h o a r e s t i l l i n t h e p o w e r o f t h e

S o v i e t s - t h e m u r d e r e r s . T h e t i m e w i l l c o m e w h e n t h e g u i l t y

w i l l b e ca l l e d t o a c c ou n t , b u t a l o n g w h i l e m a y e l a p s e b e f o r e

t h e d a y o f r e t r i b ut i o n d a w n s . T h e w r i t e r h a s s o u gh t t o p r e s e n t

t h e o p e n i n g f o r t h e p r o s e c u t i o n , f u ll y c o n f i d e n t t h a t t h e e v e n -

t u a l h e a r i n g o f t h e ev i d e n c e b ef o r e a c o u r t o f l a w w i l l s u b s t a n -

t i a t e h i s s t a t e m e n t a n d i m p o s e a v e r d i c t o f ` G u i l t y . '

A t E k a t e r i n b u r g , o n t h e n i g h t o f J u l y i 6 , 1 9 1 8 , t h e I m p e r i a l

F a m i l y a n d t h e i r f a i t h f u l a t t e n d a n t s - e l e v e n p e r s o n s i n a l l -

w e r e l e d i n t o a s m a l l r o o m i n t h e h o u s e w h e r e t h e y h a d b e e n

i m p r i s o n ed a n d s h o t t o d e a t h w i t h r e v o l v e r s . T h e r e h a d b e e n

n o t r i a l o f a n y k i n d . B e f o r e t h e i r d e a t h t h e c a p t i v e s w e r e

s u b j e c t e d t o i l l- t r e a t m e n t a m o u n t i n g t o h o r r i b l e t o r t u r e , m e n -

t a l i f n ot p h y s i c a l . A f t e r d e a t h t h e b o d i e s w e r e t a k e n t o t h e

woods and completely destroyed . T h e s e a c t s h a d b e e n p r e -

m e d i t a t e d a n d t h e m u r d e r s e l a b o r a t e l y p r e p a r e d .

The actual arrangements for the crime began some weeks

b e f o r e t h e a d v e n t of a n t i - B o l s h e v i s t f o r c e s . N e i t h e r f e a r o f

r e s c u e b y t h e W h i t e s n o r p l o t s t o r e l e a s e t h e c a p t i v e s - t h e

1 3



1 4 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSe x i s t e n c e o f w h i c h i s d o u b t f u l - c a n b e r e a s o n a b l y a l l e g e d i n

e x t e n u a t i o n o f t h e s l a u g h t e r .

T h e o f f i c i a l s t a t e m e n t i s s u e d b y t h e M o s c o w G o v e r n m e n t

on July 2o-four days afterwards-spoke of the shooting of

N i c h o la s a s a n a c t o f n e c es s i t y , b u t c a t e go r i c a l l y a f f i r m e d t h a t

t h e e x - E m p r e s s a n d t h e c h i l d r e n h a d b e e n c o n v e y e d o u t o f

t h e c i t y . T h e s e d e l i b e r a t e l y c o n c o c t e d r e p o r t s o f t h e s a f e

r e m o v a l o f t h e f a m i l y w e r e i n t e n d ed t o c i r c u m v e n t a n y i n v e s t i -

g a t i o n - a n d d i d s o ' a t f i r s t .

I t i s e s t a b l i s h e d b e y o nd d ou b t t h a t t h e ex - T s a r f e l l a v i c t i m

t o h i s l o y a l t y . H e h a d r e f u s e d o f f e r s f r o m t h e e n e m i e s o f

R u s s i a ' s a l l i e s p r o p o s i n g t h a t h e s h o ul d en d or s e t h e T r e a t y o f

B r e s t - L i t o v s k . ' Attempts t o invei gle him into an unholy

a l l i a n c e u n d o u b t e d l y p r e c e d e d t h e m u r d e r . All the Romanovs

w h o d i e d v i o l e n t d e a t h s w e r e , l i k e t h e T s a r , i n c o n v e n i e n t t o

G e r m a n a s w e l l a s t o I n t e r n a t i o n a l i s t p l a n s .

* * * *

S o m a n y t a l e s h a v e b e e n c i r c u l a t e d r e g a r d i n g t h e f a t e o f

t h e R o m a n o v s , i n m o s t c a s e s w i t h o u t t h e s l i g h t e s t a p p r o a c h

t o t h e t r u t h , t h a t I c o n s i d e r m y s e l f b ou n d t o r e la t e t h e c i r -

c u m s t a n c e s w h i c h h a v e ( r ) p l a c e d i n m y p o s s e s s i o n t h e c o m -

p l e t e h i s t o r y a n d d o c um e n t s o f t h e c a s e ; a n d ( 2 ) i m p o s e d u p o n

m e a m o r a l o b l i g a t i o n t o p u b l i s h t h e t r u t h t o t h e w o r l d .

I n M a r c h , z 9 r 9 , r e t u r n i n g f r o m O m s k f o r a s h o r t ' v i s i t t o

V l a d i v o s t o k , I m e t G e n e r a l D i t e r i c h s , a n o l d a c q ua i n t a n c e , o f

the Russian Western Armies . A f t e r t h e R e v o l u t i o n h e h a d

p i l o t e d t h e C z e c h s t o S i b e r i a a n d t h e n t a k e n c h a r g e o f t h e

U r a l i a n F r o n t . B y o n e of t h e f a t e f ul b l un d er s t h a t h a v e m a r r e d

1 C f . Ludendorff 's Way Me moi rs, V ol . I I , page 6 58 . 'We couldhave deposed t h e Soviet Government, whi ch was thorough ly hos ti le

to us, and gi ven he lp to ot he r authorit ie s in Russia which we re not

working against us, but indee d anxious to co-operate wi th us . This

would have bee n a success of great importance to t he ge neral conduct

of t h e war . If some ot he r Government we re est ablish ed in Russia,

it would almost certainly have b ee n possi ble t o come to some compro-

mise wit h it over the Peace of Brest,'



PROLOGUE1 5

i n t e r v e n t i o n i n b e h a l f o f R u s s i a h e h a d b e e n s u p e r s e d e d b y

i n f e r i o r l e a de r s , a n d w a s d e v o t i n g h i s e n e r g i e s t o t h e i n v e s t i -

g a t i o n o f t h e Tsarkoe d e l o ( T s a r ca s e ) . Knowing Diterichs,

I f e l t s u r e t h a t , s o o n er o r l a t e r , h e w o u l d a g a i n b ec o m e c o m m a n -

d e r - i n - c h i e f o f t h e a r m i e s t h e n fi g h t i n g t he R e ds w i t h B r i t i s h

a n d A l l i ed a s s i s t a n c e . P e r s o n a l r e g a r d a n d j o u r n a l i s t i c c o n -

s i d e r a t i o n s e q u a l l y p r o m p t e d m e t o f o l l ow h i s f o r t u ne s , g o o d

o r b a d . I h a v e n o t ha d c a u s e t o r e g r e t m y d e ci s i o n . G e n e r a l

D i t e r i c h s w a s f o u n d t o b e i n d i s p e n s a b l e a n d r e c a l l e d t o h i s

c o m m a n d , w h e n i t w a s t o o l a t e . F r o m t h e f i r s t h e h a d s e e n

o n l y t o o c l e a r l y t h e r o c k s a h e a d a n d w a r n e d e v e r y b o d y c o n -

c e r n e d , a n d h e k n e w t h a t t h e f a t e o f K o l t c h a k ' s a t t e m p t t o

r e s t o r e R u s s i a w a s s e a l e d . Y e t h e a c c e p t e d t h e l e a d e r s h i p .

W i t h e q u a l p e r s p i c a c i t y h e h a d a l s o l o n g a go r e a l i z e d t h e e n o r -

m o u s i m p o r t a n c e o f t h e T s a r c a s e . T h a n k s t o h i s e f f o r t s m u c h

w a s a c c o m p l i s h e d b e fo r e t h e Re d s , h a v i n g r e ca p t u r e d t h e U r a l s ,

c o ul d ob l i t e r a t e a l l t r a c e s o f t h e c r i m e s c o m m i t t e d t h e r e . Hec o n t i n u e d t o f o l l o w t h e c a s e e v e n a f t e r h i s a p p o i n t m e n t a s

C o m m a n d e r - i n - C h i e f a n d a f t e r t h e d e b a c l e .

On my arrival at Ekaterinburg a month later I met the

i n v e s t i g a t i n g m a g i s t r a t e w h o h a d b e e n s p e c i a l l y a p p o i n t e d b y

t h e S u p r e m e R u l e r ( K o l t c h a k ) t o c o n d u c t t h e i n q u i r y i n t o t h e

T s a r c a s e - N i c h o l a s A l e x e i e v i c h S o k o l o v . H e h a d le f t h i s h o m e

a n d f a m i l y i n P e n z a t o a v o i d s e r v i c e u n d e r t h e R e d s , a n d h a d

m a n a g ed , a f t e r i n n u m e r a b l e h a r d s h i p s a n d h a i r b r e a d t h e s c a p e s ,

t o c r os s , d i s g u i s e d a s a p e a s a n t , i n t o S i b er i a . He walked the

l a s t 2 5 m i l e s f o od le s s , h i s f e e t on e m a s s o f s o r e s a n d b li s t e r s .

A n a r d e n t s p o r t s m a n , h e ha d l o s t a n e y e t h r o u gh t h e c a r e le s s -

n e s s o f a c o m r a d e . H e h a d m a d e a n a m e f o r h i m s e l f i n t h e

i n v e s t i g a t i o n o f f a m o u s c r i m i n a l c a s e s . H e w a s r e l e nt l e s s s ,

t i r e l e s s , f ul l of r e s o u r c e i n t he p u r s u i t a l i k e o f m u r d e r e r s a n d

b e a s t s o f p r e y . T h e T s a r c a s e c a l l e d f o r t h e e x e r c i s e o f a l l

t h e s k i l l t h a t t h e m o s t g e ni a l a n d c o u r a g e o u s o f m a g i s t r a t e s

c o u ld d i s p l a y . S o k o l o v n e v e r f a l t e r e d . I t i s t h a n k s t o h i m



r 6 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSt h a t a n o v e r w h e l m i n g m a s s o f e v i d e n c e h a s b e e n b u i l t u p i n t o

a s t r u c t u r e t h a t c a n n o t b e o v e r t h r o w n - t h a t s t i l l c o n t i n u e s

to grow .

A t a l l t h e ce n t r e s o f i n t e r e s t f o r t h e i n v e s t i g a t i o n - E k a t e r i n -

b u r g , P e r m , O m s k , i n f i e l d o r f o r e s t , a m i d t h e d i s u s e d i r o n

mines which hid so many a gruesome record of Bolshevist

`justice '-I was for many months in constant touch wit h

t h e c ou r s e o f t he i n q u i r y , a n d p e r s o n a l l y t o o k p a r t i n t h e s e a r c h

f o r t h e r em a i n s o f t h e v i c t i m s . B e s i d e s S o k o l o v a n d D i t e r i c h s

o n l y t w o p e r s o n s s i g n e d t h e m o r e i m p o r t a n t p y o c e s - v e y b a u x -

I was one of the two .

* * * *

Wh en th e fall of Omsk appeared to be imminent, N . A .

S o k o l o v d e p a r t e d e a s t w a r d , t a k i n g w i t h h i m a l l t h e do c u m e n t s ,

m a t e r i a l c l ue s , e t c . , w h i c h b y r i g h t c o u ld b e i n n o ot h e r h a n d s

s a v e hi s . I f o l l ow e d l a t e r w i t h G e n e r a l D i t e r i c h s , a f t e r h e h a d

r e s i g n e d h i s c o m m a n d , i n d e s p a i r o v e r K o l t c h a k ' s s u i c i d a l

d e c i s i o n t o d ef e r t h e e v a c u a t i o n o f t h e ci t y - a d e c i s i o n t h a t

e n t a i l e d t h e l o s s o f c ou n t l e s s l i v e s a n d t h e de a t h o f t h e S u p r e m e

R u l e r . W e f o u n d S o k o l o v a t C h i t a , p e r s e c u t e d b y t h e m y r -

midons of the redoubtable Ataman because they personally

d e s i r e d t h a t t h e R o m a n o v s s h o ul d b e a l i v e f o r c e r t a i n o b s c u r e

p u r p o s e s o f t h e i r o w n , a n d t h er e f o r e w i s h e d t o g e t r i d o f S o k o lo v

f o r p r o v i n g t h e c o nt r a r y . A f t e r m a n y v i c i s s i t u d e s a n d a d v e n -

tures he reached Harbin, whither I had also made my way,

a n d w a s j o i n e d b y G e n e r a l D i t e r i c h s .

T h e u l t i m a t e f a t e o f t h e d o s s i e r t h e r e h a d t o b e d e c i d e d .

O n a l l s i d e s w e r e h os t i l e o r d o ub t f u l or g a n i z a t i o n s . T o l e a v e

t h e o r i g i n a l s b e h i n d a n d t a k e a w a y o n l y d u p l i c a t e s w a s , t o

s a y t h e l e a s t , r i s k y . S o k o l ov ' s l i f e b e i n g i n d a n g er h e h i d t h e

d o s s i e r i n m y c a r , w h i c h h a d t he p r o t e c t i o n of t h e B r i t i s h f la g .

G e ne r a l L o k h v i t s k y r e n d e r e d i n v a l u a b l e a s s i s t a n c e i n b r i n g i n g

a b o u t a d e ci s i o n . I m u s t e x p r e s s m y f ee l i ng s o f g r a t i t u d e a n d

p e r s o n a l r e g a r d f o r t h i s v e r y g a l l a n t s o l d i e r a n d g e n t l e m a n ,



PROLOGUE 1 7

w h o h e r e i n t h e m i d s t o f a v e r i t a b l e B e dl a m p r e s e r v e d h i s u n -

r u f f l ed c o ur t e s y a n d c a l m j u s t a s h e h a d do n e i n t h e t u r m o i l o f

b a t t l e i n F r a n ce a n d of d i s a s t e r i n S i b e r i a .

W i t h t h e k n o w l e d g e a n d a p p r o v a l o f t h e t h r e e d i s t i n g u i s h e d

men above mentioned-representing the Russia that was and

t h a t w e a l l h op e w i l l b e a g a i n - I t o o k c ha r g e o f o ne d os s i e r , i t

b e i n g u n d e r s t o o d t h a t , g i v e n c e r t a i n c o n t i n g e n c i e s , I s h o u l d

b e f r e e a t m y o w n d i s c r e t i o n t o m a k e u s e o f i t i n w h o le o r i n

p a r t . T h e c o n t i n g e n c i e s h a v e a r i s e n , a n d I a m f r e e . But

t h a t i s n o t a l l . I c o n s i d e r t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s o f t o - d a y r e n d e r

i t a n i m p e r a t i v e d u t y t o l e t t h e A l l i e s a n d t h e R u s s i a n s k n o w

t h e t r u t h . T o o m a n y h o s t i l e i n t e r e s t s a r e s e r v e d b y d el i b e r -

a t e l y c o n c o c t e d l i e s a n d l e g e n d s r e g a r d i n g t h e f a t e o f t h e

Romanovs . I t i s t i m e t o l e t t h e li g h t o f da y i n t o t h i s t r a g i c

a n d g r u e s o m e h i s t o r y .

*

W h e n I f i r s t c a m e i n t o p e r s o n a l t o u c h w i t h t h e T s a r c a s e

m a n y p o i n t s w e r e s t i l l o b s c u r e . I r e f e r t o t h e a c t u a l c i r c u m -

s t a n c es o f t h e m u r d er i t s e l f, n ot t o e x t r a n e o us a s p e ct s - p o l i t i c a l

a n d i n t e r n a t i o n a l - t h a t w e r e o n l y v a g u e l y h i n t e d a t , a n d t h a t

h a v e s i n c e a t t a i n ed e x t r a o r d i n a r y p r o p o r t i o n s . T h e c o n f u s i o n

t h e n e x i s t i n g w a s d u e t o t w o c a u s e s : f i r s t , t o t he i n e x p e r i e n c e

o f t h e o f f i c i a l s w h o t o o k c h a r g e of t h e i n v e s t i g a t i o n ; s e c o n dl y ,

t o t h e a c t i v i t y o f B o l s h e v i s t a g e nt s w h o r e m a i n e d i n t h e c i t y

o r w e r e c o n c e a l e d a m o n g t h e r a n k s o f t h e W h i t e A d m i n i s t r a -

t i o n .

T h e o f fi c i a l v e r s i o n o f t h e ev e n t s o f J u l y z 6 - i 7 , g i v e n o ut

by the Reds before they fled from Ekaterinburg, was that

N i c h o l a s R o m a n o v h a d b e e n e x e c u t e d ` a f t e r t r i a l , ' b u t t h a t

t h e f a m i l y h a d b e e n r e m o v e d t o ` a s a f e p l a c e . ' T h i s l e g e n d

b e c a m e e n g r a f t e d u p o n t h e m i n d s o f a g r e a t m a n y p e o p l e , a n d

s t i l l co n t i n ue s t o e x e r c i s e i t s l u r i n g a p p e a l . E v e r y s y m p a t h i z e r

w i t h t h e S o v i e t s c o ns i d e r e d hi m s e l f or h e r s e l f bo u nd t o f o s t e r

t h i s v e r s i o n , s i n c e no R us s i a n , h ow e v e r h o s t i l e t o t he ex - S o v e -

8



i 8 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSr e i g n s , c o u ld f i n d t h e s l i g h t e s t e x c u s e o r p r e t e x t f o r ' e x e c ut -

i n g ' a w h o l e f a m i l y o f f i v e c h i l d r e n w h o h a d n e v e r t a k e n , o r

b e e n a bl e t o t a k e , t h e s l i g h t e s t p a r t i n p o l i t i c s . The Russians

w h o s t i l l b e l o n g e d t o t h e G e r m a n ` o r i e n t a t i o n ' were also-

c u r i o u s l y e n o u g h - d i s p o s e d t o cr e d i t a n y t a l e o f a m i r a c u l o u s

e s c a p e . T h e y s e e m e d t o t h i n k t h a t a r e s t o r a t i o n o f t h e M o n -

a r c h y - w h i c h f o r m e d t h e b a s i s o f t h e i r p o l i t i c a l c r e e d - w o u l d

b e f u r t h e r e d b y t h e ` m i r a c l e ' t h e o r y . Some of th em had

m o r e p r a c t i c a l a i m s , a s w i l l b e s h o w n l a t er o n .N. A . S o k o lo v w a s n o t d ec e i v e d fo r a n i n s t a n t . I f , s u p p o s -

i n g , t h e f a m i l y h a d b e e n r e m o v e d , t h e i r d e a t h w a s , t o h i m ,

n o n e t h e l e s s a m o r a l c e r t a i n t y . H e h a d p r e c i s e i n f o r m a t i o n

that every other Romanov with in Sovie tdom had been mur-

d e r e d , a l t h o u g h t h e y w e r e j u s t a s u n c o n c e r n e d i n p o l i t i c s a s

t h e bo y A le x i s a n d hi s s i s t e r s . B u t t h e e v i d e n c e o f e y e - w i t -

n e s s e s , c o u p l e d w i t h a n d c o r r o b o r a t e d b y c o u n t l e s s m a t e r i a l

p r o o f s , c o u l d l e a v e n o d o u b t a s t o t h e f a c t o f a w h o l e s a l e

m u r d e r a t E k a t e r i n b u r g . A l l t h e e f f o r t s o f t h e o r g a n i z e r s a n d

t h e s u p i n e ne s s o f t h e e a r l i e r i n v e s t i g a t o r s c o u ld n ot c o m p l e t e ly

t a n g l e t h e t h r e a d s . B u t i t b e c a m e a h a r d e r t a s k t o a s s e m b l e

t h e e v i d e n c e t h a t w o u l d s e c u r e a c o n v i c t i o n i n a c o u r t o f l a w .

I v i s i t e d t h e ho us e w h e r e t he v i c t i m s h a d l i v ed . I t b e l o n g e d

t o a c e r t a i n I p a t i e v , a m e r c h a n t w h o h e l d t he r a n k o f c a p t a i n

i n t h e E n g i n e e r s . B y o n e o f t h e i r o n i e s o f F a t e h e b o r e t h e

n a m e o f t h e m o n a s t e r y w h e n c e t h e f i r s t R o m a n o v s a l l i e d t o

a s s u m e t h e C r o w n o f A ll t h e R u s s i a s . T h e I p a t i e v o f E k a t e r i n -

b u r g w a s , h o w e v e r , o f J e w i s h o r i g i n .

T h e E n g i n e e r D e p a r t m e n t o f t h e S i b e r i a n A r m y w a s i n s t a l l e d

i n t h e u p p e r s t o r e y . D i r e c t l y a f t e r t h e o c c u p a t i o n o f t h e c i t y

b y t h e C z e c h s , G e n e r a l G a i d a h a d f o r c i b l y t a k e n p o s s e s s i o n

o f t h e p r e m i s e s , d e s p i t e t h e v e h e m e n t p r o t e s t o f t h e j ud i c i a l

a u t h o r i t i e s , a l a r m e d b y t he r i s k o f l o s i n g p o s s i b l e cl u es . The



PROLOGUE z g

r o o m s u n d e r w e n t e x t e n s i v e a l t e r a t i o n s . T h i s w a s , o f c o u r s e ,

a f l a g r a nt v i o l a t i o n o f t he m o s t e l e m e nt a r y p r i n c i p l e s o f c r i m i -

n a l i n v e s t i g a t i o n .

T h e l o w e r f l o o r w a s t e n a n t e d b y I p a t i e v h i m s e l f , o n t h e

u n d e r s t a n d i n g t h a t n o s t r a n g e r s s h o u l d b e a d m i t t e d . The

small basement room-the scene of the murders-was sealed

up . I s a w i t a f e w d a y s l a t e r . Sokolov took me over the

p r e m i s e s , e x p l a i n i n g s t e p b y s t e p t h e en a c t m e n t o f t h e t r a g e dy .

W e s t o o d i n t h e l i t t l e r o o m , n o t e d t h e t r a c e o f t h e b u l le t s , t h e

d i r e c t i o n o f t he b a y o ne t t h r u s t s , a n d t h e s p l a s h e s o f b l oo d o n

t h e w a l l s . T h e r o o m h a d b e e n a s h a m b l e s , a n d a l l t h e w a s h i n g

a n d s c o u r i n g t h a t , a c c o r d i n g t o t h e e v i d e n c e , ha d f o l l o w e d t h e

m u r d e r s c o u l d no t r e m o v e t e l l- t a l e s i g n s . We knew f rom the

d e p o s i t i o n s o f w i t n e s s e s a n d t h e m u t e , g r u e s o m e l a n g u a g e o f

t h e d e a t h - c ha m b e r w h e r e e a c h o f t h e v i c t i m s s a t o r s t o o d w h e n

t h e a s s a s s i n s f i r e d t h ei r r e v o l v er s . T h e b u l l e t - h o l e s i n t h e

w a l l s a n d i n t h e f l o o r h a d b e e n c a r e f u l ly c u t o u t ; human blood

h a d b e e n f o u n d i n t h e w o o d a n d o n t h e b u l l e t s .

O b s c e n e d r a w i n g s a n d i n s c r i p t i o n s c o v e r e d t h e u p p e r w a l l s .

O b v i o u s l y t h e y w e r e t h e w o r k o f u n c u l t u r e d p e a s a n t s . T h e i r

c h a r a c t e r s h o w e d o n l y t o o c l e a r l y h o w d e e p l y t h e c o n s c i e n c e

of the people had been revolted by the Rasputin scandal .

There were oth er inscriptions-in Hebrew, in German, in

Magyar . Regarding the m I was to learn much at a later

d a t e .

S o o n a f t e r w a r d s I w a s i n t h e w o o d s , i o m i l e s n o r t h o f t h e

c i t y , w h e r e t h e p e a s a n t s h a d f o u nd j e w e l l e r y a n d o t h er r e l i c s

o f t h e m u r d e r e d f a m i l y . I s a w t h e t r a c k s , s t i l l c l e a r , o f he a v y

l o r r i e s c r a s h i n g t h r o u g h t he t r e e s t o a g r o u p o f d i s u s e d i r o n -

o r e s h a f t s . A l l w e n t i n o n e d i r e c t i o n , ce a s i n g n e a r a p i t r o u nd

w h i c h a v a s t c o l l ec t i o n o f c lu e s h a d b e e n di s c o v e r e d ; p r e c i o u s

s t o n es , p e a r l s , b e a u t i f u l s e t t i n g s o f g o ld a n d p l a t i n u m , s o m e

h a c k ed , b r o k e n, b e a r i n g t r a c e s o f f i r e ; m e t a l b u c k l e s , h o o k s ,



20 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSb u t t o n s , c o r s e t - f r a m e s , p i e c e s o f c h a r r e d l e a t h er a n d c l o t h, a

h u m a n f i n g e r i n t a c t , a s e t o f f a l s e t e e t h . T h e c h a r a c t e r , c o n -

d i t i o n, a n d n um b e r s o f t h es e v a r i o u s a r t i c l es w e r e i n t h e m s e l v es

s u f f i c i en t t o i n d i c a t e t he s e x a n d a g e s o f t h e v i c t i m s a n d t h e

m a n n e r i n w h i c h t h e i r b o d i e s h a d b e e n d i s p o s e d o f .

F i r s t o n t h e s c e n e h a d b e e n t h e p e a s a n t s . F o r t h r ? e d a y s

a n d n i g h t s t h e y w e r e c u t o f f f r o m t h e c i t y b y a c o r d o n o f R e d

Guards placed around the wood . Knowing th at t he W hit es

were at hand, they thought th e Re ds were burying arms .

V a g u e r u m o u r s h a d r e a c h e d t h e m o f t h e d e a t h o f N i c h o l a s I I .

A s s o o n a s t h e c o r d o n h a d b e e n r e m o v e d t h e y r u s h e d t o t h e

s p o t . W o o d c r a f t a n d n a t i v e a s t u t e n e s s q u i c k l y o p e n e d t h e i r

e y e s . ` I t i s t h e T s a r t h a t t h e y h a v e b e e n b u r n i n g h e r e , '

t h e y d e c l a r e d . O n t hi s v e r y s p o t , a y e a r l a t e r , I f o un d t op a z

b e a d s , s u c h a s t h e y o u n g P r i n c e s s e s w o r e , a n d o t h e r g e m s , b y

s c r a t c h i n g t h e s u r f a c e o f t h e h a r d e n e d c l a y s u r r o u n d i n g t h e

i r o n p i t .

L e d o f f on a f a l s e s c e n t , t h e e a r l i e r i n v e s t i g a t o r h a d n e g-

l e c t e d t h e u n e r r i n g s a g a c i t y o f t h e p e a s a n t s a n d h a d e v e n

f a i l e d t o m a k e a n i m m e d i a t e e x a m i n a t i o n o f t h e w o o d a n d p i t s

- p e r h a p s a f r a i d t o l e a v e t h e c i t y , b e c a u s e R e d b a n d s w e r e

r e p o r t e d t o b e i n t h e n e i g h b o u r h o o d . H e w a s f o l l o w i n g t h e

r e d - h er r i n g t r a i l e d by S o v i e t a g e n t s t h a t , t o w i t , t h e f a m i l y

had escaped or been removed . These agents did not know

t h e t r u t h t h e m s e l v e s . They merely related what t hey had

b e e n i n s t r u c t ed t o s a y . T h e l o c a l S o v i e t h a d n o t k n o w n t h e

f a c t s . There had been no trial . The murders had been

t h e w o r k o f a s e p a r a t e o r g a n i z a t i o n w h i c h d i r e c t e d e v e r y t hi n g

f r o m a d i s t a n c e . M i s l e d b y t h e v e r s i o n s t h u s s p r e a d , t h e

i n v e s t i g a t o r h a d l o s t h i m s e l f i n t he m a z e o f co n fl i c t i n g r u m o u r

i n E k a t e r i n b u r g .

When Sokolov took over the case-in the early months of

i g i g - i t w a s a l m o s t a t a s t a n d s t i l l b ec a u s e o f t h e i n i t i a l m i s -



PROLOGUE 21

t a k e s a n d i n c a p a c i t y o f t h e i n v e s t i g a t o r . Yet evidence had

c o m e f r o m a n o t h e r q u a r t e r t h a t s h o u l d h a v e c o m p e l l e d h i m

t o t a k e t h e r i g h t c o ur s e . F r o m o n e o f t h e I m p e r i a l s e r v a n t s

w h o h a d e s c a p e d f r o m a R e d s h o o t i n g s q u a d i t b e c a m e k n o w n

that several grand dukes and the Grand Duchess Elizabeth

had bee n murdered i mmediate ly afte r th e Ekaterinburg

shooting, and that some of the bodies had been found in

d i s u s e d i r o n - p i t s . I n n o c a s e h a d t h e r e b e e n a n y s e m b l a n c e

o f a t r i a l . I t w a s e v i d e nt t h e w h o le s a l e e x t e r m i n a t i o n o f t h e

Romanovs had been pursued, and that all theories of the

m i r a c u l o u s s u r v i v a l o f t h e c h i l d r e n s h o u l d b e a b a n d o n e d .

* * * * *

O n J u ly 1 4 , 1 9 1 9 , t h e B o l s h e v i s t s e n t e r e d Ek a t e r i n b u r g , a n d

s i n c e t h e n h a v e b e e n i n o c c u p a t i o n o f t h e U r a l s . The y were

a b l e t o s a t i s f y t h e m s e lv e s t h a t , i n s p i t e o f a ll t h ei r e f f o r t s t o

m i s l e a d j u s t i c e , t h e t r u t h a b o u t t h e m u r d e r o f t h e e x - T s a r

a n d h i s f a m i l y w o u l d b e c o m e k n o w n a n d a r o u s e p o p u l a r i n d i g -

n a t i o n . T h e y t h e n d e c i d e d t o t a k e a c o u r s e t h a t w a s q u i t e

i n k e e p i n g w i t h t h e i r m e t h o d s o f g o v e r n m e n t , a l t h o u g h i t m a y

a p p e a r t o b e a l m o s t i n c r e di b l e t o us , w i t h o u r n o t i o n s o f t r u t h

a n d j u s t i c e - t o s t a g e a ` f a k e ' t r i a l o f p r e t e nd e d ` m u r d e r e r s '

i n o r d e r t o d i v e r t t h e o d i u m o f t h e c r i m e t o o t h e r s h o u l d er s .

B r a z e n l y i g n or i n g t h e f a c t t h a t t h e y t h em s e l v e s h a d o f f i c i a l l y

` s e n t e n c e d ' t h e T s a r i n J u l y , 1 9 1 8 , a n d r e c o r d e d h i s d e a t h

a t t h e h a n d s o f t h e S o v i e t a t E k a t e r i n b u r g , t h e y a n n o u n c e

a t r i a l o f t h e ` m u r d e r e r s ' o f t h e T s a r i n S e p t e m b e r , 1 9 1 9 .

T w e n t y - e i g h t ` a c c u s e d , ' w e r e a d , w e r e c h a r g e d w i t h m u r d e r -

i n g ` t h e T s a r a n d t h e w h o l e f a m i l y ' i n o r d e r ' t o t h r o w t h e

d i s c r e d i t o f t h e m u r d e r u p o n t h e B o l s h e v i s t s , ' a n d s o m e w e r e

a c t u a l l y s e n t e n c e d t o d e a t h a n d ` e x e c u t e d . ' T h e B o l s h e v i s t

o r g a n P r a v d a r e c o r d s t h i s j u d i c i a l f a r c e, w h i c h m a y o r m a y n o t

h a v e b e e n a c t u a l l y ` p e r f o r m e d . ' I s h a l l h a v e o c c a s i o n t o

d e a l w i t h i t i n i t s a p p o i n t e d p l a c e .



CHAPTER IITHE STAGE AND THE ACTORS

SOME idea of the crime of Ekaterinburg is now in the

r e a d er ' s p o s s e s s i o n ; b u t , i n d e a l i n g w i t h t h e e v i d e n c e i n

a l l i t s a s p e c t s , i t i s n ec e s s a r y t o g i v e a n a c c ou n t o f co nd i t i o n s

t h a t p r e v a i l e d i n t h e co u n t r y t h e n , a n d o f t h e c h i e f a c t o r s i n

t h e d r a m a . T h e m u r d e r o f t h e T s a r a n d h i s f a m i l y , e v e n a f t e r

h i s a b d i c a t i o n , m a y n o t b e r e ga r d e d a s a s i m p l e a c t o f v e ng e a n ce

o r c a s u a l p r e c a u t i o n .

I n 1 9 1 7 , t h e G e r m a n s h a d s e n t L e n i n w i t h a h o r d e o f J e w i s h

r e v o lu t i o na r i e s t o t a k e p o s s e s s i o n of R us s i a . A Red Govern-

m e n t , c o m p o s e d o f p e r s o n s s e l e c t e d i n B e r l i n , w a s n o w i n

power ; b u t t h e y w e r e v a s s a l s . C o u n t M i r b a c h , r e p r e s e n t i n g

t h e s u z e r a i n S t a t e , f i g u r e d i n M o s c o w a s t h e v i r t u a l r u l e r ,

b e f o r e w h o m t h e a p o s t l e s o f K a r l M a r x b o w e d t h e k n e e . At

the period under review, the Reds had displayed no overt

d i s p o s i t i o n t o t h r o w o f f t h e G e r m a n y o k e . They conformed

w i t h a l l t h e hu m i l i a t i n g c l a us e s o f t h e T r ea t y o f B r e s t - L i t o v s k ,

d u t i f u l l y s e n d i n g t h e t r i b u t e g o l d t o B e r l i n w h i c h h a d b e e n

demanded as `war indemnity,' plundering the national

E x c h e q u e r a n d r e s o u r c e s b y o r d e r o f t h e i r G e r m a n m a s t e r s .

A p p a r e n t l y e v e r y t h i n g w a s g o i n g w e l l w i t h t h e G e r m a n p l a n

o f ' p e a c e f u l ' c o n q u e s t , w h a t e v e r s e c r e t h o p e s the Red

leaders may have nurtured . I n s t e a d o f a r e d o u b t a b l e f o e ,

Russia was now a willing handmaid .

L u d e n d o r f f h a s r e l a t e d f r a n k l y , d i s i n g e n u o u s l y , h o w s i m p l e

22



THE STAGE AND THE ACTORS 2 3

a n d w o n d e r f u l h a d b e e n t h i s o p e r a t i o n . ' N o t o n l y w a s R u s s i a

o u t o f t h e w a r ; t h e f o od s t u f f s o b t a i n e d f r o m t h e U k r a i n e h a d

l i t e r a l l y s a v e d G er m a n y a n d h e r a l l i e s . He tman Skoropadsky

a l r e a d y r u l e d t h e U k r a i n e f o r G e r m a n y . K r a s n o v , a t t h e h ea d

o f t h e C o s s a c k s , a n d A l e x e i e v w i t h t h e g a l l a n t V o l u n t e e r

a r m y r e m a i n e d n e u t r a l . L u d e n d o r f f h o p e d t o l u r e t h e m i n t o

h i s n e t - a r a d i a n t c o m b i n a t i o n t h a t a s s u r e d d o m i n i o n o v e r

R u s s i a a n d h e r v a s t r e s o u r c e s . H e e x p l a i n s w h y i t w a s n o t

r e a l i z e d . The German Government was to blame, it appears .

T h e r e w a s a d i v e r g e n c e o f v i e w s b e t w e e n B e r l i n a n d G . H . Q .

T h e l a t t e r c o n s i d e r e d t h a t t h e R e d s h a d ' d o n e t h e i r w o r k ' ;

s o t h e R e d s ' m u s t g o , ' a n d K r a s n o v a n d A l e x e i e v b e d i v e r t e d

1 Ludendorff . W ay Memorie s .

Vol . I I , p a g e 5 o g .

'From Octobe r, 1917, onwards, Bolshevism in Russia obtained an

e v e r f i r m e r h o ld .

' I could not doubt th at th e disinteg rati on of t he Russian Army

a n d n a t i o n i n v o l v e d a n e x t r a o r d i n a r y r i s k f o r G e r m a n y a n d A u s t r i a -

Hung ary. A l l t h e g r e a t e r w a s m y a n x i e t y w h e n I t h o u gh t o f t h e w e a k -

n e s s o f o u r G o v e r n m e n t a n d t h e i r s .

'By sending Lenin to Russia our Government had, moreover,

a s s u m e d a g r e a t r e s p o n s i b i l i t y . From a military point of view his

j o u r n e y w a s j u s t i f i e d , f or R u s s i a h a d t o b e l a i d l ow . But our Govern-

m e n t s h o ul d h a v e s e e n t o i t t h a t w e a l s o w e r e n o t i n v o l v e d i n he r f a l l . '

Vol . I I , p a g e 6 5 4 .

' I n R u s s i a e v e n t s h a d d e v e l o p e d a l on g li n e s o f t h e i r o w n , i l l u s t r a t i v e

o f t h e l y i n g p r o p e n s i t i e s o f t h e S o v i e t G o v e r n m e n t . Wit h th e consent

of t hi s Government t he Entente had formed Czecho- Slovak units out

o f A u s t r o - H u n g a r i a n p r i s o n e r s . T h e s e w e r e i n t en d ed t o b e u s e d a ga i n s t

u s , a n d w e r e t h e r e f or e t o b e c o n v e ye d t o F r a n c e by t h e S i b e r i a n r a i l w a y .

A l l t h i s w a s s a n c t i o n e d b y a G o v e r n m e n t w i t h w h o m w e w e r e a t p e a c e ,

a n d w e a c t ua l ly t oo k i t l y i ng do w n ! A t t he be gi n n i ng of J un e, I w r o t e

t o t h e I m p e r i a l C h a n c e l lo r s p e c i a l l y o n t h e s u b j e c t , a n d p o i n t e d o u t

t h e d a n g e r s w h i c h t h r e a t e n e d u s f r o m t h e S o v i e t G o v e r n m e n t . '

Vol . I I , p a g e 6 5 6 .

' I had got into touch with him (General Krasnov) in order to

p r e v e n t h i s j o i n i n g t h e E n t e n t e . The sit uati on was complicate d by

t h e f a c t t h a t I c o u l d n o t p u t d i f f i c u l t i e s i n t h e w a y o f t h e h o m e G o v -

e r n m e n t ' s p r o - B o l s h e v i k p o l i c y , of w h i c h , of c o u r s e , I w a s i n f o r m e d ,

and Krasnov regarded the S oviet Government, and not t he Entente,

as his enemy . '



2 4 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSa t o n c e f r o m t h e i r s y m p a t h i e s w i t h t h e E n t e n t e i n o r d e r t o

p r e c l ud e a n y p o s s i b i l i t y o f a r e v i v a l o f t h e E a s t e r n f r o n t . For

t h i s p u r p o s e i t w a s n e c e s s a r y t o o r d e r t h e G e r m a n d i v i s i o n s

i n t h e s o u t h o f R u s s i a t o m a r c h o n M o s c o w . L u d e n d o r f f f e l t

q u i t e s u r e t h a t e v e n A l ex e i e v w o u l d n o t b e a b l e t o r e s i s t t h e

t e m p t a t i o n t o j o i n h a n d s w i t h t h e e ne m i e s o f S o v i e t d o m . But

t h e ob s t i n a t e , s l o w - w i t t e d b ur e a u c r a t s i n B e r l i n c ou l d n o t a da p t

t h e m s e l v e s t o t h e s e l i g h t n i n g c h a n g e s . Ludendorff stormed

a t t h e m : W e r e t h e y b l i n d no t t o s e e t h a t t h e R e d s w e r e h o o d-

winking them ? Di d they want proofs ? Were the Czech

p r i s o n e r s o f w a r n o t p r o c e e d i n g e a s t w a r d w i t h t h e a v o w e d

o b j e c t o f r e i n f o r c i n g t h e Fr e n c h a r m y ?

This concrete accusation could not be denied . L e n i n ' s

o r g a n i z a t i o n h a d p r o m i s e d P r o f e s s o r M a s a r y k t o p e r m i t t h e

C z e c h o - S l o v a k s t o l e a v e t h e c o u n t r y b y w a y o f S i b e r i a p r o -

v i d e d t h e y w e n t p e a c e f u ll y . I t w a s a n e a s y r i d d a nc e of p o s s i b l e

e n e m i e s.

T h e C z e c h s w e r e p r o c e e d i n g qu i e t l y t o V la d i v o s t o k ,

c a r e f u l l y a b s t a i n i n g f r o m v i o l e n c e e v e n w h e n s o r e l y t r i e d b y

t h e i m p u d en c e o f l oc a l S o v i e t s , g i v i n g u p t h e i r a r m s t o b r i b e

the Reds .

M i r b a c h r e c e i v e d i n s t r u c t i o n s t o c a l l h i s R e d h e n c h m e n t o

a c c o u n t ; a t t h e s a m e t i m e m e s s a g e s w e r e c o n v e y e d f r o m t h e

t w o K a i s e r s t o t h e i r w a r r i o r s i m p r i s o ne d i n S i b er i a , e n j o i ni n g

u p o n t h e m t h e d ut y o f o r g a n i z i n g r e s i s t a n c e t o t h e' i n v a d e r s . '

H o w t h e G e r m a n a n d M a g y a r o f f i c e r s e n r o l l e d R u s s i a n c o n -

v i c t s a n d f lu n g t h e m s e l v e s a t h w a r t t h e C z e c h r e t r e a t w i t h t h e

e n e r g e t i c c o n c u r r e n c e o f t h e S o v i e t s i s a m a t t e r o f h i s t o r y .

But the connexion between this circumstance and all that

preceded and followed is less known . Ludendorff feared

a b o v e a l l t h e r e - e s t a b l i s h m e n t o f t h e E a s t e r n f r o n t , y e t i t w a s

L u d e n d o r f f a n d h i s G o v e r n m e n t t h a t b r o u g h t a b o u t t h e v e r y

c o n s e q u e n c e s t h a t t h e y l e a s t w a n t e d .

H a d t h e C z e c h s b e e n a l l o w e d t o de p a r t i t i s c e r t a i n t h a t t h e r e

w o u l d h a v e b e e n n o m i l i t a r y h e l p f r o m t h e E n t e n t e s i d e , a n d




t h e c h a n c e s o f s e d u c i n g t h e R u s s i a n a n t i - B o l s h e v i s t l e a d e r s

m i g h t n o t h a v e b e e n s t i l l - b o r n . A s i t w a s , t h e w h o l e ed i f i c e

o f g u i l e , d u p l i c i t y , a n d d e ce i t , r a i s e d w i t h s u c h l a b o u r a n d

c o s t , f e l l t o t h e g r o u n d . T h e m u r d e r o f M i r b a c h s o u n d e d t h e

c a l l of i t s c o l la p s e .

B u t a t t h e t i m e w h e n t h e f a t e o f t h e T s a r a n d h i s f a m i l y

h u n g i n t h e b a l a n c e , G e r m a n y w a s a b s o l u t e m i s t r e s s o f t h e

s i t u a t i o n , a n d , h a d t h er e b e e n u n i t y o f m e t h o d a s w e l l a s o f

purpose be twe en t h e G erman Hi g h C ommand and Berlin,

t h e f a t e o f R u s s i a a n d , p e r h a p s , o f t h e w a r w o u l d h a v e b e e n

changed . B e r l i n w a n t e d t o c o n t i n u e t o r u l e R u s s i a t h r o u g h

t h e S o v i e t s u n d e r M i r b a c h ; L u d e n d o r f f a i m e d a t t h e o v e r -

t h r o w o f t h e S o v i e t s i n o r d e r t o en l i s t t h e s u p p o r t o f t h e C o s -

s a c k s a n d V o l u n t e e r s . As might be expected, the conflict

between th em resulte d in a fatal compromise-an attempt

t o r u n w i t h t h e W h i t e h a r e a n d h u n t w i t h t h e R e d h o u n d s .

L u d e n d o r f f ' s p l a n w a s t o s u b s t i t u t e a m o r e a g r e e a b l e f o r m

o f g ov e r n m e n t i n t h e p l a c e o f t h e S o v i e t s a n d t o m o d i f y s u i t -

a b l y t h e T r e a t y o f B r e s t - L i t o v s k . Here we have the key to

t h e r e m o v a l o f N i c h o la s I I f r o m T o b o l s k . B u t a l l t ha t s u b s e -

q u e n t l y h a p p e n e d w a s c o n d i t i o n a l u p o n a n o t h e r s e t o f f o r c e s .

S o v i e t do m a s s e r t e d i t s e l f . T h e w o r k i n g a n d o r g a n i z a t i o n o f

t h e S o v i e t s f i t t e d i n a d m i r a b l y w i t h G e r m a n r e q u i r e m e n t s ,

a n d i n c i d e n t a l l y s u b s e r v e d t h e p l a n s o f t h e m u r d e r e r s . Newn a m e s , d e v i s e d t o a p p e a l t o t h e f a n c y o f t h e m o b , c o n c e a l e d

f a m i l i a r i n s t i t u t i o n s .

There were three principal bodies-Sovnarkom, Tsik, and

Chrezvychaika, these names being abbreviations of Soviet

narodnykh komisarov ( C o u n c i l o f P e o p l e ' s C o m m i s s a r i e s ) ,

Tsentyalny ispolnite lny komite t ( C e n t r a l E x e c u t i v e C o m m i t t e e ) ,

and Ch rezvychai naia komis ia dlia boyby z kontrrevoliuts ie i

( E x t r a o r d i n a r y C o m m i s s i o n f or C o m b a t i n g C o u n t e r - r e v o l u t i o n ) .

Under the old regime t h e D u m a , t h e C o u n c i l o f M i n i s t e r s ,



2 6 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSa n d t h e O k h r a n a h a d o c c u p i e d t h e s a m e r e l a t i v e p o s i t i o n s .

I n s t e a d o f t h e f o r m e r r a n k s a n d d i g n i t i e s t h e r e w e r e komi sary,

a l l s u p p o s e d t o b e el e ct e d , b ut i n r e a l i t y a p p o i n t e d b y a n i n n e r

a n d o c c u l t b o d y . So vdeps ( C o u nc i l s o f D e p u t i e s ) a n d Komit-et y bednoty ( P o o r C o m m i s s i o n s ) t o o k o v e r t h e f u n c t i o n s o f t h e

o l d z e m s t v o s a n d m u n i c i p a l i t i e s , g r o u p e d i n t o r e g i o n a l c o m -

m u n e s , j u s t a s i t h a d b e e n p r o p o s e d t o g r o u p t h e z e m s t v o s

a c c or d i n g t o s e p a r a t e oblasti ( r e g i o ns ) . S o v i e t d o m ( i n R u s s i a n

Sovdepia) had invented no new forms . I t i s s t i l l i n t he g r i p -

o f t h e R e d O k h r a n a , o r I n q u i s i t i o n .

A s t h e r e w a s n o a p p a r e n t a u t h o r i t y , t h e l o c a l b o d i e s o f t e n

a c t e d i n d e p e n d e n t l y ; i n d e e d , L e n i n e n c ou r a g e d t h i s t e n d e n c y .

Vlast na mest akh ( e v e r y p l a c e i t s o w n m a s t e r ) w a s h i s m o t t o .

L e n i n d i d n o t r u l e ; t h e S o v i e t s y s t e m w a s g o v e r n e d b y o t h e r

p e o p l e , t h e f e l l o w - p a s s e n g e r s w h o c a m e w i t h h i m u n d e r G e r -

man auspices . He delivered impassioned harangues before

t h e S o v n a r k o m a n d r e c e i v e d d e p u t a t i o n s f r o m m i n o r S o v i e t s ,

t h e r e a l p o w e r w a s e l s e w h e r e - - i n t h e T s i k a n d C h r e z v y c h a i k a ;

a n d , j u s t a s i t h a d b e e n i n t h e o l d R u s s i a , t h e l a s t w o r d w a s

a l w a y s w i t h t h e P o l i c e - O k h r a n a o r g a n i z a t i o n .

M i r b a c h r e c e i v e d h i s d a i l y r e p o r t f r o m t h e C h r e z v y c h a i k a .

He was murdered by two men wh o said th ey came f rom

t h a t o f f i c e . L e n i n h a d a s m u c h t o d o w i t h h i s d e a t h a s h e h a d

w i t h t h e m u r d e r s , a w e e k l a t e r , of t h e e x - T s a r a n d h i s f a m i l y .

T h e R e d O k h r a n a a n d t h e i n n e r c i r c l e o f t h e T s i k w e r e t h e

v e r i t a b l e a u t h o r s o f t h e c r i m e o f E k a t e r i n b u r g , a n d p r o b a b l y

o f M i r b a ch ' s a s s a s s i n a t i on . '

N o n e n t i t i e s , f i g u r e h e a d s o f t h e S o v n a r k o m , d o n o t i n t e r e s t

u s . W e a r e c o n ce r n e d w i t h g r e a t , i f m a l e f i c en t , p e r s o n a ge s i n

' In Th e Ti me s of July 8, 1918, appeared a wireless f rom th e Moscow

Government, issued on the previous nigh t . I t i s si g ned 'Lenin'

and address ed t o ' J o f f e ' (the Soviet representative), ' B e r l i n ' :-'To-day ( i . e . , July 7, 1918) at 2 o'clock two unknown men, wi t h

f a l s e ( s i c ) documents from th e Extraordinary Commiss ion (Tsik)

appeared at t he German Embassy and th rew a bomb int o t he apart-




the Red world . M o s t o f t h e m a r e s t i l l u n k n o w n o u t s i d e t h e

r a n k s o f p r o f e s s i o n a l r e v o l u t i o n a r i e s . A goodly proporti on

of th e hundred Jews who came out of Germany with Lenin,

a n d t h e h u n d r e d s w h o c a m e f r o m C h i c a g o , d e s e r v e t o b e i n -

c l u d ed i n t h i s g a l l e r y , f o r t h e y u n d o ub t e d l y h e ld R u s s i a u n d e r

t h e i r s w a y . To enumerate and describe them would require

a s m a l l v o l u m e . I n e ed s k e t c h o n l y t h o s e w h o a c t p r o m i n e n t l y

i n t h e d r a m a o f E k a t e r i n b u r g . The most important were

S v e r d l o v , S a f a r o v , V o i k o v a n d G o l o s h c h e k i n , a n d t h e m u r d e r e r -

i n - c h i e f , Y u r o v s k y . O t h e r s w i l l b e i n t r o d u c ed l a t e r o n .

* * * *

T h e n a m e s o f S a f a r o v a n d V o i k o v f i g u r e i n t h e li s t o f L e n i n ' s

f e ll o w - p a s s e n ge r s . B o t h a r e v e r y p o w e r f u l B o l s h e v i s t s , h o ld -

i n g h i g h p l a c e s i n t h e e x e cu t i v e a n d p o l i c e b r a n c h e s . Sverd-

l o v w a s t h e u n c r o w n e d T s a r o f t h e S o v i e t s . H i s a u t h o r i t y

w a s f o r m o r e t h a n a y e a r r e a l l y h i g h e r t h a n t h a t o f L e n i n

or even Trotzky . He dominated th e Tsik, and hi s crea-

t u r e s r u l e d t h e C h r e z v y c h a i k a . Sverdlov's name appears

in t h e Bolsh evist Government as approved by Ge rmany

( S v e r d l o v w a s - a n d l o n g r e m a i n e d - a p a i d a g e n t o f G e r m a n y ) .

The direct connexion between Sverdlov and the murders of

E k a t e r i n b u r g i s e s t a b l i s h e d b e y o n d d o u b t .

Goloshchekin was the representative of the above-named

c o n c l a v e i n t h e R e g i o n a l S o v i e t o f t h e U r a l s a n d k e p t t h a t

ment of C ount Mirbach . C ount Mirbach was se riously wounded and

died .

`The representati ves of th e Russi an Government paid a visi t i mme-

diately to th e German Embassy and expresse d the ir i ndig nati on at

th is act of politi cal provocati on . The Government is taking all necessary

ste ps to discover t he murderers and to h and th em over to an Extra-

ordinary Tribunal . Ste ps were t aken to st rength en the guard of t he

German Embassy and to prote ct Ge rman cit ize ns . . . .

'An ext raordinary plenipote ntiary will be dispatche d to Berlin wit h

th e missi on of expressi ng to t he German Government our indig nati on

against t he criminal act and our sympath y wit h t he Ge rman repres en-

tative wh o fe ll a victi m to th is crime . . . .



28 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSr a t h e r r e c a lc i t r a n t b o d y u n de r s e c r e t s u b j e c t i o n t o h i s c h i e fs .

T h e U r a l i a n R e d s w e r e p a r t i c u l a r l y s e l f - w i l l e d a n d j e a l o u s o f

M o s c o w b e c a u s e t h e p o p u l a t i o n c o n s i s t e d a l m o s t e n t i r e l y o f

miners and metal-workers-a very advanced and independent

c l a s s , h a v i n g l i t t l e i n c o m m o n w i t h t h e p e a s a n t - f a r m e r , f o r

whom they profe ssed contempt . Goloshchekin did whatever

S v e r d l o v w i s h e d . A s t r a t a g e m h a d g i v e n h i m a b s o l u t e p o w e r .

The president of the Regional Soviet was a Russian named

Beloborodov . He was arrested by th e C hrezvychaika and

i m p r i s o n e d o n a c h a r g e o f a p p r o p r i a t i n g 30,000 r o u b l e s . The

punish ment would be death . Toget he r with Safarov and

V o i k o v , G o l o s h c h e k i n a r r a n g e d t o r e l e a s e h i m . Beloborodov

r e s u m e d t h e p r e s i d e n c y o f t h e R e g i o n a l S o v i e t a s i f n o t h i n g

had happened . Dishonesty was so rampant among the Komi-

s a r s t h a t t h e t r a n s i t i o n s u r p r i s e d n o o n e . B u t a f t e r t h a t ,

Beloborodov gave up all att empts to resist Moscow-if he

h a d e v e r d o n e s o . H e w a s h e n c e f o r t h a m e r e m a n o f s t r a w ,

k e p t i n h i s p l a c e t o d e c ei v e t h e o bs t r e p e r o u s U r a l i a n m i n e r s ,

w h o d i d n o t w i s h t o b e r u l e d f r o m M o s c o w , m u c h l e s s b y J e w s .

The closest personal bonds had existed for many years

b e t w e e n G o l o s h c h e k i n a n d S v e r d l o v . T h e y h a d b e e n t o g e t h e r

i n p r i s o n a nd e x i l e . G o l o s h c h ek i n r a n k e d a s a n i n t e r n a t i o n a l -

i s t o f t h e m o s t p r o n o u n c e d t y p e . H e h a d b e e n s e l e c t e d f o r

t h e r u le r s h i p o f t h e U r a l s w i t h a n e y e t o o t h er t h a n p o l i t i c a l

a c t i v i t i e s . H e w a s b l o o d t h i r s t y i n a n a b n o r m a l d e g r e e , e v e n

f o r a R e d c hi e f t a i n . People who knew him at Ekaterinburg

d e s c r i b e G o l o s h c h e k i n a s a h o m i c i d a l s a d i s t . He never at-

t e n d ed e x e c u t i o ns , b u t i n s i s t e d u p o n h e a r i n g a d e t a i l e d a c co u nt

o f t h e m . H e h u d d l e d i n b e d s h i v e r i n g a n d q u a k i n g t i l l t h e

e x e c u t i o n e r c a m e w i t h h i s r e p o r t , a n d w o u l d l i s t e n t o h i s

d e s c r i p t i o n o f t o r t u r e s w i t h a f r e n z y o f j o y , b e gg i n g f or f u r -

t h e r d et a i l s , gl o a t i n g ov e r t h e ex p r e s s i o n s , g e s t u r e s a n d de a t h -

t h r o es o f t h e v i ct i m s a s t h e y p a s s e d b e fo r e hi s d i s e a s e d v i s i o n .

Y u r o v s k y h a d a h u m b l e r t a s k ; h e w a s n o t o ne o f t h e m i g h t y




o n e s o f t h e S o v i e t . W h e n t h e G e r m a n p l a n t o r e s t o r e N i c h o l a s

a s a v a s s a l s o v e r e i g n h a d f a i l ed , a n d t h e J e w i s h c o nc l a v e i n

M o s c o w w a s f r e e t o c a r r y o u t i t s v e n g e f u l p u r p o s e , Y u r o v s k y

w a s i n s t a l l e d a s c h i e f j a i l e r a n d t o r m e n t o r o f t h e d o o m e d

f a m i l y . T h e R u s s i a n c o m m a n d a n t a n d g u a r d s w e r e d i s m i s s e d ,

o s t e n s i b l y b e c a u s e t h e y w e r e p i l f e r i n g . Magyarized-German

soldiers under a Jewish commandant took their places and

w e r e a b l e t o r o b w h o l e s a l e t h e u n f o r t u n a t e s w h o m t h e y w e r e

s u p p o s e d t o p r o t e c t .

T h e o r i g i n s o f Y u r o v s k y h a v e b e e n f u ll y i n v e s t i g a t e d . H i s

parents and relatives-all poor Jews-remained in Siberia

a f t e r t h e m u r d e r e r a n d h i s c h i e f s a n d a c c o m p l i c e s h a d f l e d

from Ekaterinburg . He had been a watchmaker at Tomsk,

scarcely able to make ends meet . N a t u r a l l y a m b i t i o u s , h e

d e s p i s e d t h e p e o p l e a r o u n d h i m . H e w a s w a i t i n g f o r a n o p -

p o r t u n i t y . It came suddenly and mysteriously . Yurovsky

d i s a p p e a r e d . T h i s w a s b e f o r e t h e w a r . H e i s n e x t h e a r d o f

i n E k a t e r i n b u r g a s a p h o t o g r a p h i c d e a l e r . I t l e a k e d o u t t h a t

h e h a d b e e n t o B e r l i n a n d b e c o m e p o s s e s s e d o f s o m e c a p i t a l .

W h e n w a r c a m e , h e e v a d e d s e r v i c e i n t h e t r e n c h e s b y q u a l i f y -

i n g a s a r e d - c r o s s a s s i s t a n t ( f e l d s h e r ) a n d r e m a i n e d i n E k a t e r i n -

burg . W h e n t h e B o l s h e v i s t s s e i z e d t h e g o v e r n m e n t , Y u r o v s k y

b e c a m e o n e o f t h e l o c a l a g e n t s o f t h e n e w p o w e r .

At a time when he was seeking any and every means of

a d v a n c e m e n t , Y u r o v s k y h a d b e e n b a p t i z e d i n t o t h e L u t h e r a n

Church . H e u s e d t o a t t e n d p r a y e r s i n I p a t i e v ' s h o u s e . H e

e v e n c h a t t e d p l e a s a n t l y w i t h t h e s i c k b o y A l e x i s , w h o m , a

f e w d a y s l a t e r , h e s h o t w i t h h i s o w n h a n d .



CHAPTER III

NO ESCAPE : ALEXANDRA MISJUDGEDA P A R T f r o m t h e b a l d a s s e r t i o n s o f p a r t i e s i n t e r e s t e d i n

s p r e a d i n g f a l s e r e p o r t s , t h e r e i s n o e v i d e n c e o f a n y

a t t e m p t o n t h e p a r t o f t h e R o m a n o v s t o e s c a p e f r o m a n y o f

t h ei r p r i s o n s . All the compromising 'documents' produced

b y S o v i e t a p o l og i s t s o n t hi s s u b j ec t a r e t r a n s p a r e n t f a b r i c a -

t i o n s . Loyal Russians wished to save t he Tsar from the

S o v i e t s , k n o w i n g f u l l w e l l t h e d a n g e r o f t r e a c h e r y t h a t h e

incurred, and there were several organizations, working

independently, but none ever began putting a plan into

e x e c u t i o n .

D u r i n g t h e c a p t i v i t y a t T o b o l s k s o m e m o n e y r e a c h e d t h e

f a m i l y s e c r e t l y . It helped the prisoners to eke out the

s t a r v a t i o n a l l o w a n c e o r d a i n e d b y t h e S o v i e t s . Attempts to

r e n d e r f u r t h e r a i d w e r e f r u s t r a t e d b y a G e r m a n - B o l s h e v i s t

agent stationed at Tiumen . T h i s p e r s o n , a R u s s i a n o f f i c e r

w h o h a d m a r r i e d a d a u g h t e r o f R a s p u t i n , i n g r a t i a t e d h i m s e l f

w i t h d o ub t f u l t r a v e l l e r s f o r T o b o l s k a n d b et r a y e d t h em t o t h e

S o v i e t . T h e G e r m a n s h a d t h u s t a k e n e l a b o r a t e p r e c a u t i o n s

n o t t o a l l o w t h e e x - T s a r t o s l i p o u t u na w a r e s . P e r h a p s t h e y

t h o u g h t t h a t t h e A l l i e s o f R u s s i a m i g h t t r y t o r e s c u e h i m !

A t E k a t e r i n b u r g n o t h i n g c o u l d b e d o n e . The Reds claim to

h a v e i n t e r c e p t e d s o m e l e t t e r s b e t w e e n t h e c a p t i v e s a n d c o n -

s p i r a t o r s . B u t i t m a y b e p o i n t e d ou t t h a t n o t a s i n g le p e r s o n

w a s a r r e s t e d t he r e f or c o n s p i r a c y t o he l p t h e e x i l e s . Re mem-

30



NO ESCAPE : ALEXANDRA MISJUDGED 3 1

b e r i n g t he l a v i s h r e p r e s s i o n s e v e r a p p l i e d b y t he o cc u lt p o w e r s

o f t h e C h r e z v y c h a i k a , i t w i l l b e c o n c e d e d t h a t t h e y w o u l d

h a v e m i s s e d n o o p p o r t u n i t y t o e x e r t t h e m i n s u c h a c a u s e .

The British C onsul (Mr . P r e s t o n ) , r e m a i n i n g g a l l a n t l y a t

h i s p o s t t h r o u g h o u t t h e R e d t e r r o r , a n d r e n d e r i n g i n c a l c u la b l e

s e r v i c e t o t h e v i c t i m s o f B o l s h e v i s t o p p r e s s i o n , w a s u n a b l e

t o d o a n y t h i n g t o a l l e v i a t e t h e s u f f e r i n g s a n d t o r t u r e o f t h e

Romanovs . Y e t , s t r a n g e t o r e l a t e, a m o n a r c h i s t o r g a n i z a t i o n

h a d i t s a g e nt s i n t h e ci t y . I t e v e n s u c c e e d e d i n c o n v e y i n g

s o m e f o o d a n d c o m f o r t s t h r o u g h t h e n u n s o f t h e l o c a l m o n a s -

t e r y . B e y o n d t h a t i t w a s u n a b l e t o g o .

T h e r e i s n o e v i d e n c e t o s h o w t h a t a t a n y t i m e d u r i n g t h e

c a p t i v i t y w a s a n y a c t i v e a t t e m p t m a d e t o r e s c u e t h e R o m a n o v s .

T h i s a p p l i e s e q u a l ly t o t h e e x - S o v e r e i g n s a n d t o t h ei r k i n s m e n .

A t T o b o l s k , E k a t e r i n b u r g , P e r m , a n d A l a p a i e v s k t h e p r e t e x t

f o r w h o l e s a l e m u r d e r w a s a l w a y s t h e s a m e ; a n a l l eg e d a t t e m p t

t o e s c a p e o r r e s c u e . A n d f r o m t h e t e s t i m o n y o f p e r s o n s w h o

w e r e i n d a i l y i n t e r c o u r s e w i t h t h e i m p r i s o n e d f a m i l y , i t i s

c l e a r t h a t , ha d a n y s e r i o u s e f f or t s t o p r o c u r e t h e i r e s c a p e b e en

m a d e , t h e y w o u l d h a v e m e t w i t h n o e n c o u r a g e m e n t . N i c h o l a s

I I r e p e a t e d l y s a i d t h a t h e w o u l d no t l e a v e R u s s i a ; Alexandra

h a t e d a b o v e e v e r y t h i n g t h e i d e a o f g o i n g t o G e r m a n y . A t t h a t

t i m e R u s s i a o f f e r e d no s u r e p l a c e of r e f u g e .

The Rasputin propaganda had poisoned the minds of th e

p e o p l e , b u t n o t a l l t h e p e o p l e . I n t h e v i l l a g e s , a m o n g t h e o l d

f o l k, f e e li n g s o f l o y a l t y s t i l l h e l d s w a y , r e a d y a t t h e f i r s t s i g n a l

t o a s s e r t t h e m s e l v e s o p e n l y . T h e v o l u m e s o f e v i d e n c e i n m y

p o s s e s s i o n p r o v e t hi s s t a t e m e nt . M a n y o f t h e w i t n e s s e s w e r e

p e a s a n t s w h o , c o ns c i o u s l y , w i l l i n g l y r i s k e d t h e i r l i v e s i n o r d e r

t h a t t h e t r u t h a b o u t t h e fa t e o f t h e T s a r s h o u ld b e es t a b l i s h e d .

W h o k n o w s h o w m a n y o f t h e s e s i m p l e s o u l s h a v e b e e n m a r t y r e d

f o r t h e i r b o l d n es s ?

A m o n g t h e o b s c e n i t i e s t h a t d i s f i g u r e d t h e w a l l s o f t h e

I p a t i e v h o u s e , o n e i n s c r i p t i o n s t r u c k a l o y a l n o t e . In



32 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSu n c o u t h p e a s a n t w r i t i n g a n d s p e l l i n g t h e a u t h o r - e v i d e n t l y

o n e o f t h e g u a r d s - a s k e d h o w l o n g w e r e t h e p e o p l e g o i n g t o

p u t u p w i t h t h e K o m i s a r s , a n d u r g e d t h e T s a r t o c o m e f o r w a r d

a n d d r i v e a w a y t h e h o r d e o f u s u r p e r s t h a t w e r e r u i n i n g t h e

c o u n t r y !

I c a n n o t h e l p t h i n k i n g t h a t t h e R a s p u t i n l e g e n d d i d n o t

s u f f i c e t o k i l l t h e p e o p l e ' s f a i t h i n t h e T s a r . I t c e r t a i n l y di s -

c r e d i t e d A l e x a n d r a , a n d h e s h a r e d h e r d i s g r a c e ; b u t t h a t w a s

n o t e n o u g h t o a c c o u n t f o r t h e v i r u l e n c e o f p o p u l a r c l a m o u r

a g a i n s t N i c h o l a s I I . H i s f a t e w o u l d n o t h a v e b e e n s o m u c h a

m a t t e r o f i n d i f f e r e n c e t o t h e m u l t i t u d e h a d t h e v i l e s t o r y o f

R a s p u t i n n o t b e e n p r e c e d e d b y b l u n d e r s t h a t d e e p l y i n c e n s e d

t h e p o p u l a r c o n s c i e n c e . I r e c a l l t h e dr e a d f u l m u r d e r o f w o m e n

and children before th e Winter Palace on Bloody Sunday .

T h a t c r i m e w a s p r e p a r e d b y t h e O k h r a n a a n d a t t r i b u t e d t o t h e

T s a r . I t s e e m s t o m e t h a t h a d i t n o t b e e n f o r t h a t h i d e o u s

s l a u g h t e r o f i n n o c e nt s n o o n e w o u l d h a v e e v e r d a r e d t o r a i s e

a h a n d a g a i n s t t h e T s a r a n d h i s c h i l d r e n . I w i s h t o b e q u i t e

f a i r t o t h e R u s s i a n s , w i t h o u t i n a n y w a y e x t e n u a t i n g t h e

h e i n o u s n e s s o f t h e c r i m e o f E k a t e r i n b u r g .

The ex-Empress was the object of special hatred . S he

c o m p l e t e l y d o m i n a t e d h e r s p o u s e i n t h e i m a g i n a t i o n o f t h e

p e o p l e , a n d oc c up i e s a p l a c e a p a r t i n t h e e v i d e n ce . Many new

f a c t s h a v e b e e n b r o u g h t t o l i g h t s u b s t a n t i a l l y m o d i f y i n g t h e

c u r r e n t e s t i m a t e o f h e r l i f e a n d c h a r a c t e r . S e v e r a l t r u n k s

f u ll o f p a p e r s a n d ef f e ct s b e lo n gi n g t o hi s v i c t i m s w e r e t a k e n

by Yurovsky to Moscow aft er the murder . Sverdlov then

a n n o u n c e d t h a t a l l w o u l d b e p u b l i s h e d , s o t h a t t h e p e o p l e

should see what manner of persons had ruled them . That

p r o m i s e h a s n o t b e e n k e p t , a n d f or a g o o d r e a s o n : t h e d i a r i e s

a n d c o r r e s p o n d e n c e o f N i c h o l a s a n d A l e x a n d r a c o n t a i n e d n o

hint of treachery . They proved t wo t hi ngs-unbounded




l o y a l t y t o R u s s i a a n d t o t h e A l l i e s ; a n d , a l a s ! c o m p l e t e

s u b s e r v i e n c y o f N i c h o l a s t o h i s w i f e . B u t n e i t h e r o f t h e s e

m a t t e r s i n t e r e s t e d t h e S o v i e t le a d e r s , a n d m o s t o f t h es e p r i c e -

l e s s d o c u m e n t s h a v e b e e n s u p p r e s s e d i n M o s c o w . Many others

w e r e o v e r l o o k e d o r f o r g o t t e n i n E k a t e r i n b u r g , a n d f i g u r e i n

t h e do s s i e r o f t he T s a r c a s e . A m o n g t h e m i s a c o l l e c t i o n o f

A l e x a n d r a ' s l e t t e r s t o h e r m a i d - o f - h o n o u r . T h e r e a r e a l s o

t h e d e p o s i t i o n s o f s e r v i t o r s a n d m e m b e r s o f t h e h o u s e h o l d .

A n a l y s i n g t h i s m a s s o f f i r s t - h a n d e v i d e n c e , o n e o b t a i n s a

t r u e p i c t u r e o f A l e x a n dr a . P r o u d, do m i n e er i n g , s e l f - r e s t r a i n e d ,

gi ft ed, mystical she had been from youth . H e r t r o u b l e s ,

m e n t a l a n d p h y s i c a l , h a d d i s t o r t e d t h e s e c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s .

N i c h o l a s f e l l i n l o v e w i t h h e r w h e n s h e w a s 1 5 , a n d w a i t e d

p a t i e n t ly f o r h e r e i g h t y e a r s . E v e n a s a g i r l s h e d o m i n a t e d

h im . After their marriage there was never any doubt who

was master . H e r d o m i n i o n w a s n o t e v e n c h a l l e n g e d . N i c h o -

l a s n e v e r a c t e d w i t h o u t h i s w i f e ' s a p p r o v a l , e x c e p t w h e n h e

w a s s e p a r a t e d f r o m h e r - f o r i n s t a n c e , w h e n h e s i g n e d t h e w r i t

o f a b d i c a t i o n . T h e s e w e r e n o t t h e b e s t q u a l i f i c a t i o n s f o r

T s a r d o m a t a t i m e o f t r a n s i t i o n . A l e x a n d r a c o u l d n o t a t t a i n

p o p u l a r i t y , n or w o u ld s h e a d m i t t h e n ec e s s i t y o f i t f o r h e r s e l f

o r t h e T s a r . I n d e e d , a s t h e y e a r s p a s s e d s h e b ec a m e l e s s a n d

l e s s r e s p o n s i v e t o t h e d e m a n d s a n d r e q u i r e m e n t s o f p u b l i c

o p i n i o n , w h i c h c a n n o t b e d e f i e d w i t h i m p u n i t y e v e n b y a n

a u t o c r a t .

* *

M a n y R u s s i a n s a t t r i b u t e d t h e s e f a i l i n g s t o t h e H e s s e di s e a s e

( b o l e z n G e s s e n s k i k h ), t h e h er e d i t a r y t a i n t t h a t h a d c a r r i e d o ff

m a n y o f A l e x a n d r a ' s r e l a t i o n s . ' T h e f a c t t h a t h e r o n l y s o n

s u f f e r e d f r o m a n d m i g h t a t a n y m o m e n t d i e o f i t o n l y m a d e

h e r o w n t r o u b l e w o r s e . T h e d i s e a s e i s d a n g e r o u s t o b o y s a n d

1 Hxmophi lia, th e dise ase from which t he Tsarevich suff ered, is as

a general rule transmitte d through t he fe males to th e males . Thefe males do not suff er from it t ill late i n lif e . G



3 4 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSadult women ; g i r l s d o n o t f e e l i t s e f f e c t s t i l l t h e y a r e g r o w n u p ,

whereas boys become immune aft er reaching manhood . In

t h e c a s e o f w o m e n i t i s a p t t o p r e y o n t h e m i n d , a g g r a v a t i n g

a n d i n t e n s i f y i n g a n y m o r b i d p r e d i s p o s i t i o n . H y s t e r i a i n i t s

w o r s t f o r m s i s a n a l m o s t i n v a r i a b l e a c c o m p a n i m e n t . S h e a l s o

s u f f e r e d i n t e n s e l y f r o m h e a r t t r o u b le . H e r l i f e m u s t h a v e b e e n

one long agony .

Alexandra was not normal . H e r b e l i e f i n R a s p u t i n i n d i -

c a t e d a s m u c h . T h e e v i d e n c e o f D r . B o t k i n i s e x p l i c i t . People

w h o s u f f er f r o m h y s t e r i a i n a n a c u t e c on g en i t a l f o r m r e p e l a n d

e s t r a n g e a l l p e r s o n s t h a t d o no t b l i n d ly a c c ep t t h e i r d o m i n a -

t i o n . R a s p u t i n h a d t o b e t r e a t e d a s a s a i n t b e c a u s e A l e x a n dr a

i m a g i n e d h i m t o b e o n e . T h e C o u r t o f R u s s i a b e c a m e p e o p l e d

w i t h t i m e - s e r v e r s a n d n o n e n t i t i e s .

I s h a l l d e a l w i t h R a s p u t i n p r e s e n t l y . The new materials

i n m y p o s s e s s i o n s h o w t h a t h e w a s s i m p l y a p e a s a n t a f f l i c t e d

w i t h a p a t h o l o gi c a l c o nd i t i o n . T h e l e g e n d t h a t h a s g r o w n u p

r e g a r d i n g h i s o c c u l t p o w e r s c a n b e t r a c e d n o t t o R a s p u t i n

but t o his ` f r i e n d s . ' He was a mere tool . Alexandra

wanted him-to cure her son ; o t h e r s u s e d h i m f o r p e r s o n a l

o r p o l i t i c a l i n t r i g u e s b e c a u s e A l e x a n d r a , t h e v e r i t a b l e A u t o c r a t

o f A l l t h e R u s s i a s , h a d n ee d o f hi m . In t h e t r a g e d y o f t h e

Romanovs every thread leads us to this Woman of Destiny .

T h e v e r y e x h a u s t i v e r e c o r d s o f t h e i r l i f e b e f o r e a n d a f t e r t h e

R e v o l u t i o n g i v e a t r u e p r e s e n t m e n t o f t h e f a m i l y , s u c h a s n o

i n d i v i d u a l c o u l d f u r n i s h e v e n i f h e o r s h e h a d b e e n i n t h e

c l o s e s t i n t i m a c y w i t h N i c h o l a s o r A l e x a n d r a . O n e i s s t r u c k

b y t h e a l m o s t s u p e r h u m a n s e c r e t i v e n e s s o f t h e e x - S o v e r e i g n s .

T h e y d i d n o t t r u s t a n y o n e c o m p l e t e l y . M o s t o f t h e p e r s o n s

w h o w e r e s u p p o s e d t o b e p a r t i c u l a r l y a t t a c h e d t o t h e m k n e w

l i t t l e o r n o t h i n g o f t h e i r i n n e r l i f e a n d t h o u g h t s . T h i s e x p l a i n s ,

p e r h a p s , w h y s o f e w d e c i d e d t o f o ll o w t h e m i n t o e x i l e . Only

b e t w e e n t h e m s e l v e s d o es t h e r e a p p e a r t o h a v e b e en n o r e s e r v e .



NO ESCAPE : ALEXANDRA MISJUDGED3 5

A l e x a n dr a ' s p e r s o n a l i t y i s r e f l ec t e d i n h er f a m i l y - N i c h ol a s ,

l i k e h e r s e l f , a n em b o d i m e n t o f a l l t h e d o m e s t i c v i r t u e s , r e l i g i o u s

t o t h e v er g e o f m y s t i c i s m , e x p e r t i n d i s s i m u l a t i o n, n ev e r s h o w -

i n g a n g e r , p e r h a p s n e v e r r e a l l y f e e l i n g a n g r y ; i n c a p a b l e o f

a d e c i s i o n - s o u t t e r l y h a d h e s u r r e n d e r e d h i m s e l f t o h i s w i f e ;

t h e d a u g h t e r s r e l e ga t e d t o t h e b a c k g r o u n d en t i r e l y u n p r e p a r e d

t o t a k e t h e i r p r o p e r p l a c e i n t h e w o r l d ; A l e x i s m o n o p o l i z i n g

a l l t h e c a r e a n d a t t e n t i o n o f hi s m o t h e r ; t h e c h i l d r e n a s h a m e d

o f h e r b e li e f i n R a s p u t i n , y e t no t d a r i n g o p e n l y t o r e s e n t i t .

A m o n g t h e C o u r t f a v o u r i t e s , m a l e o r f e m a l e , n o b o d y e x e r -

c i s e d a n y r e a l i nf l u en c e ex c e p t i n s o f a r a s i t s u i t e d t he E m p r e s s .

O n l y o n e p e r s o n a p p e a r s t o h a v e b e e n a d m i t t e d f o r a n y l e ng t h

o f t i m e t o t h e I m p e r i a l c o n f i d e n c e . That person was Anna

Vyrubova . Regarding h er, Rasputin used to speak in the

c r u d e s t t e r m s t o t h e co m p a n i o n s o f h i s t a v e r n - r e v e l s , w h o , o f

c o u r s e , r e p e a t e d h i s d r u n k e n b o a s t s . T h a t w a s t h e o r i g i n o f

h e r i n f a m o u s n o t o r i e t y . S h e h e r s e l f c o u l d n o t h a v e d e v i s e d

a s u r e r w a y o f r e t a i n i n g A l e x a n d r a ' s f a v o u r . T h e d e t r a c t o r s

o f V y r u bo v a h a d a l s o d a r e d t o r e t a i l t h e f o u le s t s t o r i e s a b o ut

Alexandra, alleging the same source . Alexandra rightly

c o n s i d e r e d he r s e l f a v i c t i m o f s l a n d e r , a n d na t u r a l l y i n c l u d e d

A n n a u n d e r t h e s a m e d e s i g n a t i o n .

The fact is, Anna Vyrubova was Rasputin's accomplice-

nothing more . Sh e ke pt h im in touch wi th everyth ing,

e s p e c i a l l y w i t h t h e b o y ' s h e a l t h . I t w a s a t h e r h o u s e t h a t

Rasputin saw the Emperor and Empress wh en it became too

s c a n d a l o u s f o r h i m t o a p p e a r d a i l y i n t h e P a l a c e - a f t e r t h e

d i s m i s s a l o f g o v e r n e s s e s w h o h a d r a i s e d a n o u t c r y a g a i n s t

R a s p u t i n ' s f a m i l i a r i t i e s w i t h t h e i r ch a r g es .

Anoth er person deserves mention . I t i s n o t p o s i t i v e l y

s h o w n h o w f a r h i s i n f l ue n ce w a s f e l t , b u t c e r t a i n l y h e p l a y ed

a n i m p o r t a n t p a r t i n t h e R o m a n o v t r a g e d y . He was in many

w a y s a m y s t e r y m a n - a d o c t o r o f T i b e t a n m e d i c i n e , b y b i r t h



3 6 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSa B u r i a t , named Badmai ev . B e s i d e s d i s p e n s i n g nostrums

t h a t c u r e d a l l i l l s - o f t e n b r i n g i n g r e l i e f w h e r e m o d e r n s c i e n c e

h a d f a i l e d - h e d a b b l e d i n p o l i t i c s , a n d w h o k n o w s w h a t d a r k

f o r c e s w e r e s e r v e d b y h i m ? R a s p u t i n w a s o n e o f h i s b e s t

c l i e n t s . A c c o r d i n g t o R a s p u t i n o n e c o u l d i m m e d i a t e l y r e g a i n

a l l t h e v i g o u r o f y o u t h b y s w a l l o w i n g a p o w d e r c o m p o s e d o f

Tibetan herbs ; anot her kind of powder made one quit e

i n d i f f er e n t t o w o r r y . B a d m a i e v r e s e r v e d t h e s e s p e c i f i c s f o r

people whom he could trust . T h e f i r s t - n a m e d k i n d w a s f o r

Rasputin, but who was the recipient of th e ` dope' that

` m a d e y o u f o r g e t ' - w h o i f n o t t h e h a p l e s s N i c h o l a s ? Ando n ce i t i s a d m i s s i b l e t ha t t h e p e a s a n t h a d t a k e n t o dr u g s f o r

s p e c i f i c p u r p o s e s , o n e m a y s e r i o u s l y e n t e r t a i n o t h e r a c c u s a -

t i o n s a g a i n s t h i m a n d h i s a c c o m p l i c e s .

A c c o r d i n g t o i n d i c a t i o n s c o n t a i n e d i n t h e e v i d e n c e , A n n a

Vyrubova arranged the ` m i r a c l e s ' o f h e a l i n g t h a t R a s p u t i n

p e r f o r m e d on t h e s i c k b o y . I t w a s n o t d i f fi c u l t . The malady

always followed the same course . A s l i g h t b r u i s e s e t u p

internal hemorrhage . The patient suff ered terrible pain

while the blood flowed, clotted, and finally began to be

r e s o r b e d . Anna knew f rom experie nce h ow t o read t he

symptoms. Rasputin would come to pray when the crisis

w a s o v e r , s o t h a t i t s h o u l d s e e m a s i f h i s i n t e r c e s s i o n h a d

b r o u g h t r e l i e f . Things happened in th is way on several

k n o w n o c c a s i o n s . R a s p u t i n d i d no t w i s h t o lo s e t h e Em p r e s s ' s

f a v o u r . He and Vyrubova took t he ir precauti ons . AndB a d m a i e v ' s p o w d e r s m a y h e r e a l s o h a v e b e e n u s e d w i t h b e ne f i t

t o a l l c o n c e r n e d . A l e x a n d r a ' s e y e s w e r e n e v e r o p e n e d t o t h e

f a c t t h at R a s p u t i n ' s p r a y e r s d i d no t a f f ec t t h e di s e a s e .

It will be argued by those who knew Vyrubova that she

w a s t o o g a r r u l ou s t o k e e p a s e c r e t , t oo c h i l d- l i k e t o c o n ce i v e

o r c a r r y o u t a n y i n t r i g u e , a n d s t i l l l e s s a n y a c t a f f e ct i n g t h e

Empress in whose hands she was as wax . T o h a v e l i v e d f o r

t w e n t y y e a r s i n t h e c on f i d en c e o f s u c h a w o m a n a s t h e E m p r e s s




p r e s u m e s t h e p o s s e s s i o n o f n o o r d i n a r y f a c ul t i e s , w h e t h e r o f

e x t r e m e i n n o c e n c e c o m b i n e d w i t h s e r p e n t w i s d o m o r o f p r o -

f o u n d g u i l e h i d d e n u n d e r a n a p p e a r a n c e o f c a n d o u r . Vyru-

b o v a ' s a p o l o g i s t s w o u l d h a v e u s b e l i e v e t h a t s h e w a s n o t hi n g

b e t t e r t h a n a n i d i o t . T h e s k i l l w i t h w h i c h s h e c r e p t i n t o t h e

g o o d g r a c e s o f t h e I m p e r i a l F a m i l y , a b l y s e c o n d i n g a l l t h e

m o v e s o f t h e p r a c t i s e d co u r t i e r T a n e i e v , he r f a t h e r , s h o w s t h e

a b s u r d i t y o f s u c h a t h e o r y a n d s u f f i c i e n t l y d e n o t e s h e r r e a l

d i s p o s i t i o n .

W o m a n - l i k e , t he E m p r e s s r e g a r d ed a l l t h i n g s f r o m a p e r s o n a l

s t a n d p o i n t . H e r m a l a d y o nl y s e r v e d t o i n t e n s i f y h e r l i k e s a n d

d i s l i k e s . One of her particular aversions was Wilhelm of

P r u s s i a , f i r s t b e c a u s e t h e H o h e n z o l l e r n s h a d b e e n e x a l t e d a t

the expense of h er own House ; secondly because Wilhelm

h a d n o t c o u n t e d w i t h h e r . Germany, ruled by Wilhelm, was

e v e r t h e f o e o f R u s s i a r u l e d b y A l e x a n d r a . She could not

a d m i t t h e p o s s i b i l i t y o f a c o m p r o m i s e o r t r u c e w i t h W i l h e l m ' s

G e r m a n y , a n y m o r e t h a n s h e w o u l d p e r m i t t h e T s a r t o s u m -

m o n a M i n i s t r y c o m p o s e d o f R a s p u t i n ' s d e t r a c t o r s a n d e n e m i e s .

A c o m p l e t e a n d l u d i c r o u s m i s a p p r e h e n s i o n p r e v a i l e d i n R u s s i a

a n d a m o n g t h e A l l i e d p e o p l e s a b o u t t h e a l l e g e d p r o - G e r m a n

t e n d e n c i e s o f t h e e x - E m p r e s s . Sh e h ate d Germany with a

b i t t e r n e s s a n d a f e r v o u r e q u a l l e d o n l y b y h e r c o n t e m p t a n d

l o a t h i n g f o r t h e R u s s i a n s - a l w a y s e x c e p t i n g t h e p e a s a n t s ,

whom she 'imagined' to be endowed wit h all th e virtues

a n d q u a l i t i e s t h a t R a s p u t i n w a s s u p p o s e d t o p o s s e s s .

W i l h e l m w a s d e s c r i b e d b y h e r a s ' t h a t l o w c o m e d i a n ' a n d

` man of falsehood,' who had ` s t o o p e d t o a s s o c i a t e h i m s e l f

w i t h B o l s h e v i s t s . ' W i t h f i e r c e a n d j o y f u l a n t i c i p a t i o n , s h e

f o r e s a w h i s p u n i s h m e n t : ` T h e d a y w i l l c o m e w h e n t h e y w i l l

d e s t r o y h i m 1 ' S h e d i d n o t li v e t o s e e h e r v i s i o n f u l f i l l e d .

* * * * *

S u c h w a s t h e s o - c a l l e d p r o - G e r m a n E m p r e s s . I t i s e a s y t o



38 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSr e c a l l t he o u t cr y t h a t w a s r a i s e d i n E n t en t e c ou n t r i e s i n t h e

spring of 1917 whe n it be came known th at th e Romanovs

w o u l d b e p e r m i t t e d t o c o m e t o E n g l a n d . ` H o w c a n w e t o l e r -

a t e t h i s f r i e n d o f G e r m a n y i n o u r m i d s t ? ' The public had

b e e n s o d ee p l y a f f e c t e d b y t h e Ra s p u t i n p r o p a g a n d a , t h a t t h e y

w o u l d n o t h e a r o f A l e x a n d r a c o m i n g t o t h i s c o u n t r y . And as

t h e f a m i l y c o u l d n o t b e d i s u n i t e d , t h e y h a d a l l t o r e m a i n i n

R u s s i a . T h e e x - T s a r ' s s e r v a n t s h a d ev e n p r e p a r e d h i s E n g li s h

u n i f o r m s . S o r r o w f u l l y , w i t h o u t u n d e r s t a n d i n g t h e r e a s o n ,

th ey obe yed the order to pack th em away . T h u s , a f t e r

d e p r i v i n g t h e m o f t h e t h r o n e , R a s p u t i n ' s f o u l i n f l u e nc e t o o k

f r o m t h e R o m a n o v s t h e i r h o p e o f a n a s y l u m a n d l e f t t h e m t o

s u f f e r a s h a m e f u l d e a t h .



CHAPTER IV

RASPUTIN THE PEASANTTH E w a l l s o f I p a t i e v ' s h o u s e e p i t o m i z e d t h e R e v o l u t i o n .

O n e n a m e a n d o n e e f f i g y p r e d o m i n a t e d : the name of

G r i s h k a , t h e s i l h ou e t t e of R a s p u t i n , la s c i v i o u s l y c a r i c a t u r e d .

O n e m e t , h e r e a n d t h e r e , a l l u s i o n s t o t h e ' T s a r - b l o o d s u c k e r '

a n d o t h e r c a t c h - p h r a s e s o f t h e R e v o l u t i o n , b u t o n e f e l t t h a t

t h e y w e r e p e r f u n c t o r y . T h e o n e a n d o n l y u n p a r d o n a b l e c r i m e

i n t h e e y e s o f t h e R e d g ua r d s h a d b e e n t h e p r e f e r e n c e s h o w n b y

t h e E m p r e s s f o r a p e a s a n t - a c o m m o n m a n l i k e o n e o f t h e m -

s e l v e s . What a commentary on the blindness of the unfor-

t u n a t e A l e x a n d r a !

P o l i t i c a l p r o p a g a n d a h a d r e p r e s e n t ed R a s p u t i n a s a m o n s t e r

o f i n i q u i t y a n d o c c u l t p o w e r s , w h e r e b y h e h e l d t h e E m p r e s s

u n d e r h i s t h r a l d o m . T h e do s s i e r k i l l s t h i s l e ge n d- i t i s n ot h i n g

more .

G r e g o r y R a s p u t i n w a s f o r t y - f i v e a t t h e t i m e o f h i s d e a t h

( 1 9 1 6 ) . T i l l t h e a g e of t h i r t y - f o u r h e ha d l i v e d a s a n o r d i n a r y

p e a s a n t i n h i s n a t i v e v i l l a g e o f P o k r o v s k o e , b e t w e e n T o b o l s k

and Tiumen . H e h a d a w i f e a n d t h r e e c h i l d r e n , a c o m f o r t a b l e

h o m e , a n d e n o u g h l a n d t o f e e d h i m s e l f a n d f a m i l y . Griskha

- t o u s e t h e f a m i l i a r d i m i n u t i v e o f h i s C h r i s t i a n n a m e , a s i s

c u s t o m a r y i n t h e v i l l a g e s - w a s a f a i r t y p e o f t h e S i b e r i a n

p e a s a n t - f a r m e r . They are e ndowe d wit h an abundance of

m o t h e r - w i t , w i e l d t h e v e r n a c u l a r w i t h c o n s u m m a t e s k i l l , a n d

a r e f i n e , u p s t a n d i n g f e l l ow s , a b l e t o d o a da y ' s w o r k o r c e le b r a t e

a f e s t i v a l e q u a ll y w e l l . S u c h w a s G r e g o r y R a s p u t i n . Noth ing

i n d i c a t e d a f u t ur e f o r h i m d i f f e r e nt f r o m t h e r e s t . He might

b e e x p e c t e d t o p l o u g h , d r i n k v o d k a , b e a t h i s w i f e , t r i c k h i s



4 0THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVS

neighbours, and pray before the Holy Ikons in the usual

s e q u e nc e t i l l h e d i e d .

O n e d a y h e h e a r d t h e V o i c e . I t h a p p e n e d t o p e a s a n t s n o w

a n d t h en i n y o u t h, s o m e t i m e s i n t h e p r i m e o f li f e , a n d of t e n i n

t h e i r o l d a g e . A f t e r t h a t t h e y l ef t t h e i r m u n da n e a f f a i r s a n d

p r e p a r e d t he m s e l v e s f o r E t e r n i t y . G r i s h k a h a d b e e n ' c a l l e d '

w h e n h e w a s f o u r t e e n , a n d i n a n e c s t a s y h a d t r i e d t o m u t i l a t e

h i m s e l f . B u t h e h a d f a l l e n f r o m g r a c e . Now, twenty years

l a t e r , t h e c a l l c a m e a g a i n. Grish ka was ` converted' by

D m i t r i P e c h e r k i n , a s t y a n n i k ( w a n d e r e r ) , w h o h a d d e s e r t e d

h i s h o m e i n t h e s a m e p r o v i n c e o f T ob o i s k t o p r a y a t t h e H o l y

P l a c e s . I n 1 9 0 5 R a s p u t i n t u r n e d o v e r h i s f a r m t o h i s w i f e ,

son, and daughters, and joined Dmitri in his wanderings .

T o g e t h e r t h e y v i s i t e d M o u n t A t h o s , J e r u s a l e m , K i e v , M o s c o w

and Petrograd .

I h a v e a c o p y o f h i s w o r k , My T h o u g h t s a n d R e f l e c t i o n s ( p u b -

l i s h e d i n P e t r o g r a d , 1 9 1 5 ) , d e s c r i b i n g h i s p i l g r i m a g e s . I t i s

a n a s s o r t m e n t o f s t e r e o t y p e d p h r a s e s , t e x t s f r o m S c r i p t u r e ,

h o m e l y p r o v e r b s - j u s t t h e c o n v e r s a t i o n o f a n o r d i n a r y s t y a n n i k .

One is struck with wonderment that the ' a u t h o r ' o f s u c h

u t t e r c o m m o n p l a c e s h o u l d h a v e i n f l u e n c e d t h e d e s t i n i e s o f a

v a s t E m p i r e , o r c o u ld f o r o ne m o m e n t i m p o s e u p o n t h e c u l t ur e d

i n t e l l e c t o f a n E m p r e s s .

I b e l i e v e t ha t R a s p u t i n w a s q u i t e s i n c e r e i n f o l lo w i n g P e ch e r -

i n , a n d t h a t d u r i n g hi s e a r l i e r d a y s i n t h e c a p i t a l h e w a s s t i l l

a n e a r n e s t d e v o t e e . Bishop Feofan met him in Petrograd,

a n d w a s i m p r e s s e d b y h i s s i n c e r i t y . B u t e v e n a t t h i s t i m e

(about 1907) he was already inclining once more towards

w o r l d l y t h i n g s .P e c h e r k i n t r i e d i n v a i n t o p e r s u a d e h i m t o

t a k e t h e v o w s a n d j o i n h i m i n a m o n a s t e r y . R a s p u t i n h a d a

f a n c y f o r t h e d r a w i n g - r o o m s o f t h e g r e a t c i t y , w h e r e h e w a s

p e t t e d a nd p a r a d e d b y ho s t e s s e s i n s e a r c h o f a s e n s a t i o n . Andt h u s i t c a m e t o p a s s t h a t , w i t h t h e h e l p o f F e o f a n a n d t h e



PLATE II

RASPUTINWOUNDED AT HIS V ILLAGE HOME

J u s t b e f o r e t h e h os t i l i t i e s i n 1 9 1 4 ,

th e 'saint' had bee n stabbed by a

peasant gi rl who m he h ad wronged,

and was be ing nursed by his wif e and

daugh te rs at Pokrovskoe (Tobolsk

P r o v i n c e ) . Here h e received the only

l e t t e r t h a t h e e v e r h a d f r o m N i c h o la s

I I ., and here h e boasted that if he

had been in Pet rograd at t he time he

would have stopped the war. Nicholas

and Alexandra had no suspicion that

'Grishka' was a German age nt. Ont h i s p o r t r a i t t h e ` s a i n t ' h a s i n s c r i b e d

some of his pious reflections-' Wh at

of to-morrow ? Thou art our Guide,O God . How many Thorny paths in

t h i s l i f e ? '

ALEXANDRA'S DESPAIR OVERRASPUTIN'S DEATH

Facsimile of a let te r in which the Empress for

o n c e b et r a y s h e r f e e l i n g s . The closing sentence,

w r i t t e n di s j o i n t e d ly , r e f er s t o h i s ` m u r d e r , ' w h i c h

occurred a wee k be foreh and, and her anxiet y for

the safety of th e Tsar, showing that she knew of

a p l o t a g a i n s t h i s l i f e . ` Besides everything, try

for a moment t o realise what it is t o know a

f r i e n d i n d a i l y , h o u r l y d a n g e r o f a l s o b e i n g f o u l l y

murdered . But God is all mercy . '



RASPUTIN

ALEXANDRA'S DESPAIR

PLATE I I



RASPUTIN THE PEASANT4 1

Grand D u c h e s s e s M i l i t z a and A n a s t a s i a ( t h e Montenegrin

P r i n c e s s e s w h o h a d a l r e a d y i n t r o d u c ed v a r i o u s ` s a i n t s ' t o t he

m y s t i c a ll y d i s p o s e d s o v e r e i gn s ) , R a s p u t i n c a m e t o t h e C o ur t .

T h e d i a r i e s a n d d e p o s i t i o n s o f h i s d a u g h t e r M a t r e n a f o r m

p a r t o f t he d os s i e r . A m i d s t a m a s s o f v e r b i a g e o n e i s a b l e t o

d i s c o v e r h e r e a n d t h e r e p r e c i s e l a n d m a r k s o f t h e R a s p u t i n

h i s t o r y . One se es t he ` saint' gradually drawn into the

m u l t i p l e c o g - w h e e l s o f C o u r t i n t r i g u e ; b o u n d f i r m l y t o t h e

f a m i l y ch a r i o t , a s h i s d a u g h t e r s a r e p u t t o f a s h i o n a b l e s c h oo l s ;

having to make money for the girls ; o b l i g e d t o r e m a i n a

p e a s a n t i n g a r b a nd l a ng u a g e t o p l e a s e h i s p r o t e c t r e s s . But a

p e a s a n t w h o i s d i v o r c e d f r o m h i s n o r m a l o c c u p a t i o n a n d h a s

d i s o b e y e d t h e V o i c e t a k e s t o d r i n k . T h e r e i s n o a l t e r n a t i v e .

T h e un h ea l t h y l i f e of t h e c i t y s e t i t s m a r k o n h i m . ` F i s h -

s o u p , b r e a d a n d k v a s s w i t h o n i on s , w e r e h i s d a i l y f a r e , b u t he

drank red wine and Madeira . . a l w a y s j o l l y i n hi s c u p s ,

singing and dancing as the villagers do ; whe never we

r e m o n s t r a t e d w i t h h i m , h e w o u l d s a y t h a t h e c o ul d n ev e r d r i n k

e n o u g h t o d r o w n t h e s o r r o w t h a t w a s t o c o m e . ' T h a t i s t h e

d e s c r i p t i o n g i v e n b y h i s ! d a u g h t e r o f R a s p u t i n ' a t h o m e ' i n

P e t r o g r a d . B u t t h e s e m i l d d e b a u c h e s w e r e c o n s t a n t l y s u p p l e -

m e n t e d by s w i n i s h o r g i e s o u t s i d e . M a n y a p e a s a n t , p l a c e d i n

t h e s a m e p o s i t i o n , w o u l d h a v e a c t e d i n t h e s a m e w a y .

R a s p u t i n w a s j u s t a n o r d i n a r y p e a s a n t . H e w a s r u s t i c e v e n

i n t h e m e a s u r e o f h i s ` p e r q u i s i t e s . ' I n h i s n a t i v e P o k r o v -

s k o e i t w a s n o t c o ns i d e r e d d i s h o n ou r a b l e t o c he a t o n e ' s n e i g h-

b o u r , b u t a l w a y s i n a s m a l l w a y , o f c o u r s e . S o h e r e , t h i s

m a n , w h o c o u l d h a v e a m a s s e d a c o l o s s a l f o r t u n e , c o n t e n t e d

h i m s e l f w i t h d a b b l i n g i n s m a l l ` a f f a i r s ' t h a t b r o u g h t i n a

f e w h u n d r e d r o u b l e s . H i s w h o l e e s t a t e a t t h e t i m e o f h i s

d e a t h d i d n o t m u c h e x c e e d £ i o , o o o . M a t r e n a d e c l a r e s m o s t

p o s i t i v e l y t h a t he ne v e r p o s s e s s e d o r a t t e m p t e d t o d i s p l a y a t

h o m e a n y o c c u l t g i f t o f m e s m e r i s m , h e a l i n g , o r c l a i r v o y a n c y .

* * *



4 2 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVST h i s d r u n k e n i m m o r a l p e a s a n t n e v e r t h e le s s p l a y e d a p o l i t i c a l

r o l e . H e g a v e a d v i c e t o t h e T s a r o n a l l s o r t s o f i m p o r t a n t

m a t t e r s . He even had th e audacity to stamp his foot at

N i c h o l a s f o r n o t h e ed i n g i t . We know that at least on one

o c c a s i o n h e d i r e c t l y i n f l u e nc e d t h e T s a r t o t a k e a f a t a l d e c i s i o n .

F o r t h e I m p e r i a l f e t e d a y , De c e m b e r 6 / i g , 1 9 1 6 , a l l p o l i t i c a l

R u s s i a , n o b l e s , b u r g e s s e s a n d p e a s a n t s , e x p e c t e d t h e T s a r

t o g o t o t h e D u m a a n d a n n o u n c e t h e f o r m a t i o n o f a M i n i s t r y

e n j o y i n g p u b l i c c o n f i d e n c e . A l e x a n d r a w a s , o f c o u r s e , v i o -

l e n t l y op p o s e d t o a n y c o n c es s i o n , b u t s h e f e a r e d t h e i n f l ue n c e

o f t h e A r m y o n N i c h o l a s , a n d R a s p u t i n w a s p r o d u c e d f o r t h e

o c ca s i o n . H e s u c c e e d e d i n d i s s u a d i n g t h e h a p l e s s m o n a r c h ,

t o h i s u n d oi n g a n d t o t h e r u i n o f t h e A r m y a n d o f Ru s s i a .

I d o n o t p r o p o s e t o r e h e a r s e t h e w e l l - k n o w n s t o r i e s a b o u t

R a s p u t i n ' s i n f lu en c e o n t he d i s m i s s a l o r a p p o i n t m e n t o f m i n i s -

t e r s o r p r e l a t es . T h o s e s t o r i e s a r e t r u e o n ly i n s o f a r a s t h e y

r e p r e s e n t Gr i s h k a a c t i n g a s t h e i n s t r u m e n t o f a no t h er p e r s o n ' s

w i l l , i n m o s t c a s e s A l e x a n d r a ' s . He was too ignorant, too

p e t t y , t o u n de r s t a n d p o l i t i c a l q u e s t i o n s . F o r i n s t a n c e , h e w a s

a l w a y s u r g i n g t h e E m p e r o r t o c o m e i n t o d i r e c t c o n t a c t w i t h

t h e p e o p l e . ` G e t r i d o f t h e m i n i s t e r s . They lie to you .

A d d r e s s y o u r s e l f d i r e c t t o t h e p e o p l e . You will th en know

t h e t r u t h a n d ev e r y t h i n g w i l l r i g h t i t s e l f . ' Nicholas became

r a t h e r t i r e d o f t h i s p a r r o t - l i k e r e p e t i t i o n . H e h a d h ea r d i t a l l s o

o f t e n f r o m h i s w i f e . One day he told Rasputin : ` I t s o u n d s

v e r y n i c e , b u t h o w i s i t t o b e d o n e ? Y o u k n o w q u i t e w e l l t h a t

i f I t o o k y o u r a d v i c e I s h o u l d v e r y s o o n l os e m y l i f e . ' ` No,

n ev e r , ' w a s t h e r ep l y . ` Y o u w i l l b e k i l l e d b y a n i n t e l l e c t u a l ,

n o t b y a p e a s a n t ' - n o t a c o n v i n ci n g o r c h ee r f u l r e s p o n s e .

On one point Rasputin took what seemed to be a line of

his own : he was against the war with Germany . ` She is

t o o s t r o n g . W e m u s t b e f r i e n d s , ' h e d e c l a i m e d . Thi s vie w

d i d n o t r e f l e c t t h e m i n d o f t h e E m p r e s s . W h o h a d i n s t i l l e d

i t i n t o h i m ? I t i s n ot di f fi c ul t t o g ue s s . His daughter and



RASPUTIN THE PEASANT 4 3

h e r h u s b a n d a r e k n o w n t o h a v e b e e n a c q u a i n t e d w i t h o n e o f

t h e s e c r e t a g e n t s o f Ge r m a n y . B e s i d e s , t h e r e w e r e a l s o B a d -

m a i e v a n d a n u m b e r o f o t h er d o u b t f ul p e r s o n a g es a r o u n d hi m .

W h e n w a r b r o k e o u t R a s p u t i n w a s l y i n g w o u n d e d a t P o k r o v -

s k o e . T h e T s a r t e l e g r a p h e d t o h i m a b o u t t h e w a r . Grishka

f e l l i n t o s u c h a r a g e t h a t h i s w o u n d r e o p e n ed . N i c ho la s w r o t e

t o R a s p u t i n o n l y o n e l e t t e r . I t w a s s t o l e n f r o m G r i s h k a b y

I l i o do r , hi s d i s a p p o i n t e d r i v a l . I t c o n t a i n e d n o t hi n g o f s p e c i a l

i m p o r t a n c e .

H e s e r v e d t h e G e r m a n i n t e r e s t i n a m o r e s u b t l e a nd r e d o u b t -

able manner . H i s v e r y e x i s t e n c e w a s b r i n g i n g a b o u t t h e

c o ll a p s e o f R us s i a b y d e s t r o y i n g t he f a i t h o f t h e p e o p l e i n t h e

T s a r . A l l t he f o r e m o s t s u p p o r t e r s a n d f r i e nd s o f t h e ` s a i n t '

w e r e o f t h e Ge r m a n o r i e n t a t i o n . T h a t w a s n o t a c o i n ci d e n c e .

E v e r y o n e w h o e v e n t o le r a t e d R a s p u t i n w a s h e l p i n g t h e e n e m y .

I t b e i n g p r e t t y w e l l es t a b l i s h e d t h a t R a s p u t i n w a s t h e di r e c t

c a u s e - i n t h e E m p r e s s ' s h a n d s - o f t h e R e v o l u t i o n a n d d o w n -

f a l l of R u s s i a , I w o u l d a s k w h a t t h e L u d en d o r f f s a n d t h e i r

R u s s i a n d u p e s h a v e t o s a y i n j u s t i f i c a t i o n of t h e a r g u m e n t

t h a t i t w a s t h e E n t e nt e t h a t b r o u g h t a b o u t t h e R e v o l u t i o n .

R a s p u t i n ' s r e l a t i on s h i p t o t h e d ef e a t i s t s w a s s o c l ea r t o e v e r y -

b o d y i n R u s s i a t h a t p e o p l e - Ru s s i a n s a s w e l l a s A l l i e s - f e ll

n a t u r a l l y i n t o t h e m i s t a k e of s u p p o s i n g t h a t t h e E m p r e s s m u s t

b e p r o - G e r m a n , s i n c e s h e s u p p o r t e d R a s p u t i n . Who magnifie d

R a s p u t i n b e f o r e t h e w a r ? The Cologne Gazette . Wh o was

h i s a r c h- a p o l o gi s t ? The pro-Ge rman Wit te . The Germans

h a d a l m o s t a s m u c h t o d o w i t h t h e R a s p u t i n s c a n d a l a s t h e y

h a d t o d o w i t h L e n i n a n d t h e e x p l o i t s o f h i s h u n d r e d J ew s . '

* * * * *

1 L u d e n d o r f f . War M e m o r i e s , V ol . I I , p a g e 4 1 3 . ' . . . The Tsar

w a s o v e r t h r o w n b y t h e R e v o l u t i o n, w h i c h w a s f a v o u r e d b y t h e E nt e n t e .

T h e E n t e nt e ' s r e a s o n s f o r b a c k i n g t h e Re v o l u t i o n a r e n o t c l ea r . At

a l l e v e n t s , i t i s c e r t a i n t h a t t h e E n t e n t e e x p e c t ed t h e R e v o lu t i o n t o

b r i n g t h e m s o m e a d v a n t a g e i n t h e w a r . T h e y w i s h e d a t l e a s t t o s a v e

a n y t h i n g t h a t c o u l d b e s a v e d a n d , c o n s e q u e n t l y , d i d n ot h e s i t a t e t o



44 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSThe murder of Rasputin evoked the greatest outburst of

p o p u l a r r e j o i c i n g t h a t a n y a c t h a d e v e r p r o d u c e d . ' U b i l i ! '

( t h e y ha v e k i l l e d) w a s t h e u ni v e r s a l g r e e t i n g . P e o p l e d i d n o t

s t o p t o a s k w h o h a d b e e n k i l l e d . They knew . The whole

n a t i o n h a d d e s i r e d h i s d e a t h , a n d o n e w o n d er s t h a t h e s o l o ng

s u r v i v e d . B u t h i s m u r d er w a s , n o ne t h e l e s s , a m i s t a k e , s i n c e

h e w a s m e r e l y a n i g n o r a n t t o o l, a n d t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s o f h i s

e n d - t h e l a w l e s s j o y t h a t i t e v o k e d - o n l y h e l p e d t h e r e v o l u -

t i o n a r i e s . T h e nc e f o r t h , t h e E m p r e s s ' s n a m e w a s i n t h e g u t t e r ,

a n d t h e r e w a s o n l y o n e h o p e o f s a l v a t i o n f o r t h e T s a r - t o

d i s s o c i a t e h i m s e l f f r o m h i s w i f e . To do that-t o put he r

a w a y i n t o a m o n a s t e r y a s T s a r P e t e r A l e x e i e v i t c h w o u l d h a v e

done-was quite beyond the capacity of a gentle soul like

N i c h o l a s A l e x a n d r o v i c h . . . .

I t h a d b e e n s u g g e s t e d b e f o r e t h e R e v o l u t i o n t h a t s h e s h o u l d

go alone t o England ` o n a v i s i t . ' This argued complet e

i g n o r a n c e o f t h e i n n e r l i f e o f t h e s o v e r e i g n s . The Rasputin

s c a n d a l h a d a r i s e n b e c a u s e A l e x a n d r a m o r b i d l y i m a g i n e d t h a t

t h e d e s t i n i e s o f R u s s i a d e p e n d e d u p o n t h e i r j o i n t f a i t h a n d

p r a y e r s - h e r s a n d t h e ` s a i n t ' s . ' A l s o s h e w a s c o nv i n c e d t h a t

w i t h o u t h e r c o n s t a n t p r e s e n c e a n d s u p p o r t N i c h o l a s w o u l d b e

l o s t . S o o n e r w o u l d s h e h a v e d i e d t h a n g o a w a y , p a r t i c u l a r l y

a f t e r t h e d e a t h o f h e r ' s a i n t . '

Speaking to her maid (Tutelberg), who had ventured to

express some doubts about Rasputin, the Empress said one

day at Tsarskoe : ` O u r S a v i o u r c h o s e h i s d i s c i p l e s a m o n g

s i m p l e f i s h e r m e n a n d c a r p e n t e r s , n o t a m o n g l e a r n e d t h e o l o -

g i a n s . I t i s s a i d i n t h e G o s p e l t h a t f a i t h c a n m o v e m o u n t a i n s .

I believe that my son will rise . . . . I know th at

p e o p l e t h i n k m e m a d f o r m y f a i t h , b u t s o d i d t h e y t h i n k o f t he

M a r t y r s . . . . ' Anoth er day ; s h e r e m a r k e d : `The Revolu-

t i o n w a s p r e p a r e d l o n g a g o . O u r s u f f e r i n g s a r e n o t h i n g ; we

act . The Tsar, who had begun the war in order to please th e Ente nte,

had to be removed . '



RASPUTIN THE PEASANT 4 5

a r e r e a d y t o o f f er u p o u r l i v e s a n d s a c r i f i c e e v e r y t h i n g i f n e ed s

be . . . .' The same wit ness deposed th at Rasputin came

s e l d o m t o t h e P a l a c e - ' o n l y w h e n A l e x i s w a s i l l . '

I t i s t h e w r i t e r ' s b e li e f t h a t A l ex a n d r a w a s t e m p t e d t o da b b le

i n b l a c k m a g i c ; h e r r e l i g i o u s f a i t h d i d n o t p r e c l u d e k n o w l e d g e

o f oc c u lt s c i e n c e, a s w i t n e s s h e r p r e d i l e c t i o n f o r c a b a l i s t i c

s i g n s , t h e s w a s t i k a , et c . T h e r e w e r e p e r s o n s s u s p i c i o u s l y l i k e

b l a c k m a g i c i a n s a r o u n d a n d i n s i d e t h e P a l a c e a t v a r i o u s t i m e s

Philippe, Papus, Badmaiev. Now Rasputin bore a certain

r e s e m b l a n c e t o T s a r I v a n G r o z n y , a n d m a y h a v e b e e n r e g a r d e d

b y A l e x a n d r a a s a n i n c a r n a t i o n o f t h e T e r r i b l e O n e - c o m b i n i n g

i n h i s p e r s o n t h e P e a s a n t a n d A u t o c r a t , t h e m y s t i c u n i o n i n

w h i c h s h e s a w t h e s a l v a t i o n o f R u s s i a .

T h e r e h a d b e e n p l o t s t o k i l l A l e x a n d r a a n d e v e n t h e T s a r .

I t i s c u r i o u s , i n d e e d , t h a t h e r l i f e s h o u l d h a v e b e e n s p a r e d .

One must bear in mind the probability of German ̀ p r o t e c -

t i o n . ' I t i s e v i d e n t t h a t A l e x a n d r a ' s d e a t h w o u l d h a v e p u t

a n e n d t o t h e R a s p u t i n s c a n d a l a n d t h er e f o r e b e e n un p r o f i t a b l e

for Germany . A s f o r N i c h o l a s , t h e p e o p l e w e r e o n h i s s i d e

t o t h e l a s t - t i l l t h e R e v o l u t i o n e x t i n g u i s h e d i n m e n ' s m i n d s

t h e la s t v e s t i g e of a l l t h a t w a s s e e m l y .

T h e m a n n e r o f R a s p u t i n ' s m u r d e r i s k n o w n t o a l l . The man

who killed him is no more . H i s d i a r y h a s b e e n p u b l i s h e d .

I t g i v e s a l m o s t a c o m p l e t e a c c ou n t o f t h e m u r d e r . O n e f e a t u r e

h a s e s c a p e d a t t e n t i o n, a n d I m e n t i o n i t b e ca u s e i t g i v e s p o i n t

t o t h e t r u e v e r s i o n o f R a s p u t i n ' s c h a r a c t e r a s r e l a t e d a b o v e .

The accomplices had prepared a most elaborate scheme for

k i l l i n g hi m , y e t i n t h e e n d i t w a s P u r i s h k e v i t c h w i t h a v u l g a r

r e v o l v e r t h a t e f f e c t e d t h e d e e d . P o i s o n e d t a r t s , ` d o c t o r e d '

w i n e , a n d e v e n a r e v o l v e r s h o t h a d b e e n i n v a i n . T h e c o n -

s p i r a t o r s h a d i n n o c e n t l y a d m i n i s t e r e d a n a n t i d o t e w i t h t h e

p o i s o n ; t h e s h o o t e r ' s h a n d h a d t r e m b l e d s o t h a t h e h a d f a i l e d

t o h i t R a s p u t i n s t a n d i n g a f e w p a c e s a w a y . B u t w h y a l l t h i s



46 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSr i g m a r o l e ? T h e f a c t i s t h e c on s p i r a t o r s w e r e a f f e c t ed b y t h e

Rasputin propaganda ; t h e y a l s o b e l i e v e d t h a t t h e m a n w a s

m o r e t h a n m o r t a l . P u r i s h k e v i t c h t h o u g h t t h a t t h e d e v i l w a s

i n h i m t i l l t h e t h i r d b u l le t b r o u g h t h i m d o w n . That was an

epoch-making shot .

* * * * *

R a s p u t i n w a s f o n d o f i d e n t i f y i n g h i s o w n w e l l - b e i n g w i t h

t h a t o f R u s s i a . I n t h i s , a s i n o t h e r t h i n g s , h e m e r e l y c op i e d

th e Empress . When Khi onia Guseva, incit ed by th e monk

I l i o d o r , w h o h a d f a l le n o ut w i t h G r i s h k a , s t u c k a k n i f e i n t o t h e

• s a i n t , ' h e a n n o u n c e d t h a t ` much blood would flow' and

t h a t t h e r e w o u l d b e ` w o e u n u t t e r a b l e i f a n d w h e n h e d i e d . '

B u t h e w a s e v e r p r o p h e s y i n g a l l s o r t s o f t h i n gs , g oo d a nd b a d ,

l i k e t he p r o v e r b i a l t i p s t e r . I t s u i t e d t he i n t e r es t e d or s u p e r -

s t i t i o u s t o p r o c l a i m h i m i n f a ll i b le . A n y h o w , i t d i d n o t r e q u i r e

m u c h a c u m e n t o r e a d t h e s i g n s o f c o m i n g d i s a s t e r i n R u s s i a .

G r i s h k a w a s n o f o o l, a n d he m u s t h a v e h a d a s h r e w d i d e a w h a t

h i s o w n f r i e n d s a n d s u p p o r t e r s w e r e d o i n g . B u t c h a r l a t a n i s m

p a i d , ' a n d h e h a d a f a m i l y t o s u p p o r t a n d l o t s o f ` f r i e n d s '

c o m i n g f o r a s s i s t a n c e, a l l o f w h i c h f la t t e r e d Gr i s h k a ' s c h ea p l i t t l e

s o u l a n d k e p t h i m o n h i s d a i l y r o u n d o f p r a y e r a n d d e b a u ch .

R a s p u t i n t h e m o n s t e r i s a f i c t i o n , b r e d i n t h e b u s y b r a i n s

o f p o l i t i c i a n s a n d e l a b o r a t e d b y t h e t e e m i n g i m a g i n a t i o n o f

s e n s a t i o n a l no v e li s t s . R a s p u t i n t h e s a i n t i s a n i m a g i n a r y p r o -

duct of a woman's diseased mind . E v e n t h e s t o r i e s o f t h e

• s a n c t i f y i n g ' bath s and othe r ` f l a g e l l a n t ' ( k h l y s t ) r i t e s ,

s u p p o s e d t o h a v e b e e n p r a c t i s e d b y a d e m o n i a c a l G r i s h k a ,

t u r n o u t t o b e i m a g i n a r y . I t i s n o t u nu s u a l f o r t h e p e a s a n t s

i n c e r t a i n p a r t s o f R us s i a t o t a k e t h e s t e a m b a t h in common .

T h e y a d m i t n o s t r a n g e r s , b u t t h e r e i s n o t h i n g u n s e e m l y i n

t h e i r i n t e nt i o n . I t w a s q u i t e a p p r o p r i a t e f o r a n a t i v e o f

T o bo l s k t o p r a c t i s e i t . A n d i n t h i s a n d i n h i s g r o s s f a m i l i a r i t i e s

w i t h t h e o t h e r s e x G r i s h k a w a s m e r e l y R a s p u t i n t h e P e a s a n t ,

a v i l l a ge S a t y r .



CHAPTER V`THE TSAR IS INNOCENT'

B t h e R e v ol u t i o n, p r o p a g a n di s t s o f a l l de s c r i p t i o n s

j~ a i m e d t h e i r p o i s o n e d s h a f t s a t t h e E m p r e s s . H e r f a t a l

b e l i e f i n R a s p u t i n r e n d e r e d h e r a n e a s y p r e y . The revolu-

t i o n a r y s e c t i o n w a t c h e d o v e r G r i s h k a , j u s t a s t h e i r G e r m a n

a c c o m p l i c e s ` p r o t e c t e d ' Alexandra . N i c h o l a s was l e f t

a l o n e , c o m p a r a t i v e l y s p e a k i n g . A f t e r t h e R e v o l u t i o n a l l t h e

e n e r g i e s o f t h e d a r k f o r c e s i n v o l v e d w e r e c o n c e n t r a t e d u p o n

him . I t w a s n o t e n o u g h t h a t h e h a d v o l u n t a r i l y a b d i c a t e d ;

h e h a d t o b e s h o r n o f a l l p r e s t i g e , s o t h a t t h e i n v e t e r a t e d e v o -

t i o n a n d l o y a l t y o f t h e p e o p l e , w h i c h h a d f o r m e d t h e v e r y

f o u n d a t i o n o f R u s s i a ' s e x i s t e n c e , s h o u l d b e s w e p t a w a y f o r

e v e r . ` T h e T s a r w a s a t r a i t o r ; he and his wife had been

i n s e c r e t c o m m u n i c a t i o n w i t h t h e G e r m a n s . ' I n c i t y , v i l l a g e

and camp this poisonous rumour spread .

B l i n d l y , t h e P r o v i s i o n a l G o v e r n m e n t d i d n o t h i n g t o s t o p

i t . T h e O r d e r o f t h e D a y t o t h e A r m i e s , i n w h i c h N i c h o l a s ,

b i d d i n g g o o d - b y e t o h i s s o l d i e r s , p r o c l a i m e d h i s u n s h a k e n

l o y a l t y t o t h e s a c r e d c a u s e o f R u s s i a , a n d b e s o u g h t t h e m

n e v e r t o l a y d o w n t h e i r a r m s t o . G e r m a n y , w a s s u p p r e s s e d

b y t e l e g r a m f r o m t h e W a r O f f i c e i n P e t r o g r a d .' Evil deeds

come back to roost whence they have issued . The people

1 H e r e i s t h e t e x t o f t h e s u p p r e s s e d d o c u m e n t :-' M y d e a r l y l o v e d t r o o p s , I a d d r e s s y o u f o r t h e l a s t t i m e . After

m y a b d i c a t i o n , f o r m e a n d f o r m y s o n , f r o m t h e R u s s i a n T h r o n e , t h e

power i s transferred to t he Provisi onal Government whi ch rose on

t h e i n i t i a t i o n o f t h e D u m a . G o d h e l p t h e m t o l e a d R u s s i a o n t h e w a y

4 7



4 8 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSw h o b e s m i r c h e d t h e T s a r t o p l e a s e t h e r e v o l u t i o n a r i e s w e r e

t h e m s e l v e s p u n i s h e d . O n e d o e s n o t u n d e r m i n e t h e f a i t h o f

a w h o l e n a t i o n w i t h o u t d e s t r o y i n g a l l a u t h o r i t y .

* * * *

W h e n t h e E m p r e s s a n d h e r s i c k c h i l d r e n w e r e p r o c l a i m e d

p r i s o n er s o f s t a t e , a n d a f e w d a y s l a t e r N i c h o l a s a r r i v e d u n de r

c u s t o d y a t T s a r s k o e , t h i s f o u l c h a r g e o f t r e a c h e r y h u n g o v e r

t h e m , p o i s o n i n g t h e i r l i v e s b y t h e m e n t a l a n d e v e n p h y s i c a l

t o r t u r e t h a t e n s u e d . I t w a s b e c a u s e o f t h i s a b o m i n a b l e l i e

t h a t t h e e x - S o v e r e i g n s w e r e f i r s t t r e a t e d l i k e c o m m o n m a l e -

f a c t o r s , k e p t i n s e p a r a t e r o o m s , a n d f or b i d d e n t o s e e o r c o m -

m u n i c a t e w i t h e a c h o t h e r ; a n d t h e s o l di e r s a n d o ff i c e r s o f

t h e gu a r d c o n s i d e r e d t h e m s e l v e s j u s t i f i e d i n p e r s e c u t i n g a n d

i n s u l t i n g t h e m , a n d ev e n t h e i r f o l l o w e r s d e s e r t e d t h e m .

A f t e r t h e ov e r h a u li n g o f a ll t h e i r p r i v a t e p a p e r s b y a s p e c i a l

c o ur t o f i n q u i r y i n s t i t u t e d b y o r d e r o f t h e r e v o l ut i o n a r y c h i e f -

t a i n , K i r b i s s - K e r e n s k y , e v e n h e h a d t o a m e n d h i s d e m e a n o u r.

` T s a r c h i s t ' ( t h e T s a r i s c l e a n ) , h e de c l a r e d . The Russian

phrase means more t han 'innocent' ; i t i s r e a l l y ` b ey o nd

r e p r o a c h . ' But th e Jewish Press and the Soviet did not

of g lory and prosperit y . God h elp you also, valiant t roops, to h old

our native land fi rmly against th e e vil e nemy .

` Duri ng t wo and a half years you endured, daily, the hardshi ps

of acti ve service . Much blood has been sh ed, many ef forts have be en

made, and th e h our is already near whe n Russia, bound to h er valiant

Allie s, by one g eneral impulse to victory, w i l l break the last ef forts

of th e adversary .

`This unprecedente d war must be brought to a full victory. He

who t hi nks now of peace, who wish es i t-t hat man is a bet rayer of

hi s Fathe rland, a traitor . I know that e very honest soldier thi nks

t hus . The n fulfi l your duty, defe nd our native land valiantly, submit

yourselves t o th e Provis io nal Government, obe y your commanders,

remember th at every weakening of discipline i n the service i s only

an advantag e t o t h e e nemy .

` I fi rmly believe t hat t he infinite love of our great native land has

not died out of your hearts . May God ble ss you, and Sai nt G eo rge

th e g reat V anquish er and Martyr guide you . `NICHOLAS . '

The Order was counte r-sig ned by General Alexei ev, Ch ie f of St aff .



'THE TSAR IS INNOCE NT' 4 9

r e c a n t t h e i r f o u l s l a n d e r s . N o j u s t i c e c o u l d b e s h o w n t o t h e

man whom th ey hate d . C a p t i v i t y l o s t s o m e o f i t s w o r s t

f o r m s a f t e r t h e i n n o ce n ce o f t h e e x - T s a r h a d b e en e s t a b l i s h e d .

B u t T s a r s k o e - S e l o w a s o n l y a p r e l u d e t o w o r s e m a r t y r d o m .

I d o no t w i s h t o g o o v e r t h e de t a i l s o f t h e f i r s t c a p t i v i t y ,

a g o o d d e a l b e i n g a l r e a d y k n o w n a b o u t t h e f i v e m o n t h s a t

T s a r s k o e - S e l o . O n l y t h e m o r e i m p o r t a n t e p i s o d e s a r e g i v e n

h e r e , b a s e d u p o n t h e d e p o s i t i o n s o f m e m b e r s o f t h e I m p e r i a l

h o u s e h o l d . B u t b e f o r e r e l a t i n g t h e s e s a d m e m o r i e s , I w o u l d

t a k e t h e r e a d e r a l i t t l e f a r t h e r b a c k , a n d t o u c h u p o n f a t e f u l

i n c i d e n t s t h a t h a v e n o t y e t b e e n r e c o r d e d i n t h e i r p r o p e r

b e a r i n g .

I h a v e r e f e r r e d t o t h e e s t r a n g e m e n t o f n e a r l y e v e r y o n e

o f t h e e x - E m p r e s s ' s f r i e n d s a s a c o n s e q u e n c e o f h e r m a l a d y .

T h i s e x o d u s o f i n t i m a t e s i n c l u d ed k i n s f o l k a s w e l l a s h u m b l e r

p e o p l e . Even the Montenegrin Princesses Anastasia and

M i l i t z a1

w e r e n o e x c e p t i o n s t o t h e r u l e . Coldness between

t h e w i v e s i n t h i s c a s e w a s b o un d s o o n er o r l a t e r t o a f fe c t t h e

husbands . A l e x a n d r a r e s e n t e d t h e p o p u l a r i t y o f t h e G r a n d

D u k e N i c h o la s a s a p e r s o n a l a ff r o n t . I n t h e e n d s h e s u c c e e d e d

i n p e r s u a d i n g h e r h u s b a n d t o d i s m i s s h i m a n d t o a s s u m e t h e

Ch ie f C ommand . But she punished herself . The Tsar at

the Stavka ( G . H . Q . ) began to do things without her know-

l e d g e a n d c o n s e n t . H e a c t u a l l y li s t e n e d t o dr e a d f u l s t o r i e s

a b o u t t h e ` s a i n t , ' d i s m i s s e d S t u e r m e r , a n d m i g h t g o f u r t h e r .

R a s p u t i n ' s d e a t h h e l p e d t h e E m p r e s s t o r e a s s e r t h e r u s u a l

i n f l u e n c e . T h e n , o n c e m o r e , t h e T s a r w e n t o f f t o M o g h i l e v ,

a n d a n x i e t y c r e p t a g a i n i n t o t h e m i n d o f A l e x a n d r a .

T h e i l l ne s s o f t h e c h i l d r e n - t h e y a l l c on t r a c t e d m e a s l e s i n

a v e r y b a d f o r m - c a u s e d h e r w o r r y o f a n o t h e r s o r t. For a

time th e Autocrat was forgott en in the mother ; a n d s o ,

1 They are t he wives of t he Grand Dukes Nicholas and hi s brothe r

Peter, and sist ers of t he Queen of It aly . At one ti me the y were very

frie ndly wit h t he Empress, and th rough th em Rasputin came to th e

notice of the Court . Aft erwards they be came enemies of Rasputin .D



5 0 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSw h e n t h e r u m b l i n g o f t h e R e v o l u t i o n w a s a l r e a d y l o u d , s h e

d i d n o t d i s c e r n i t . P r o t o p o p o v , t h e f r i e n d o f t h e d e p a r t e d

` s a i n t , ' w a s a s s u r i n g h e r t h a t n ot h i n g s e r i o u s h a d o cc u r r e d .

W h e n t h e ch i l d r e n w e r e o u t o f d a n g e r , s h e h a d l e i s u r e t o t a k e

s t o c k o f a f f a i r s . Realizing that Protopopov was not to be

t r u s t e d , s h e s e n t f o r t h e G r a n d D u k e P a u l . Rumours about

the Tsar tormented her . He was going to abdicate . The

i d e a o f s u c h a s u r r e n d e r m a d e h e r f r a n t i c . P a u l c o u l d n o t

h e l p . S h e t r i e d t o g e t i n t o c o m m u n i c a t i o n w i t h h e r h u s b a n d

by aeroplane . A trusty flying officer was summoned, but

e v e n t h i s v e n t u r e f a i l e d .

Remaining outwardly calm, she showed the measure of

h e r a n x i e t y b y a b a n d o n i n g t h e r e s e r v e t h a t s h e h a d a l w a y s

d i s p l a y e d . T h u s s h e h er s e l f ca m e o u t t o t h e g u a r d s b a t t a l i o n s

and units that had been concentrated around the Palace,

and actually made a speech to them .

* * * *

On t h e morning o f March 2 1 , General Kornilov came

t o i n f o r m A l e x a n d r a ` t h a t u p o n h i m h a d f a l l e n t h e p a i n f u l

d u t y o f a n n o u n ci n g t h e o r d i n a n c e o f t h e C o u n ci l o f M i n i s t e r s

t h a t f r o m t h a t h o u r H e r M a j e s t y m u s t c o n s i d e r h e r s e l f t o b e

u n d e r a r r e s t . ' This announcement was made to the Empress

i n t h e c h i l d r e n ' s p l a y - r o o m i n t h e p r e s e n c e o f C o l o n e l K o b y -

linsky, the new commandant of th e Palace . Then General

K o r n i l o v a s k e d t o s p e a k t o t h e E m p r e s s a l o n e . He assured

h e r t h a t t h e r e w a s n o d a n g e r , a n d t h e n g a v e i n s t r u c t i o n s

f o r t h e t r e a t m e n t o f t h e p r i s o n e r s , b a s e d u p o n k i n d n e s s a n d

c o ur t e s y .

T h e m e e t i n g b e t w e e n h u s b a n d a n d w i f e w a s a v e r y a f f e c t i n g

o n e . N i c h ol a s c a m e s t r a i g h t t o t he n ur s e r y . They embraced

e a c h o t h e r t e n d e r l y , ` f o r g e t t i n g t h e w o r l d a n d i t s t r o u b l e s

i n t h e j o y o f r e u n i o n w i t h t h e i r c h i l d r e n . ' P r i s o n r u le s ,

r i g o r o u s l y a p p l i e d , t h e n c e f o r t h p r e v e n t e d a n y c o m m u n i c a t i o n

w i t h t h e o u t s i d e , a n d f o r a t i m e e v e n b e t w e e n t h e p r i s o n e r s .



, THE TSAR I S INNOCENT' 5 1

K e r e n s k y s e t a b o u t t r y i n g t o d i s c o v e r s o m e e v i d e n c e o f

collusion wit h th e enemy . Alexandra was isolated . Ac r e a t u r e o f K e r e n s k y ' s , n a m e d K o r o v i c h e n k o , c a m e t o s e a r c h

t h e I m p e r i a l p a p e r s . T h e T s a r p o l i t e l y o f f e r e d t o h e l p h i m ,

b u t m e t w i t h a r u d e r e b uf f , a f t e r w h i c h h e l e f t K o r o v i c h e n k o

a l o n e . H a v i n g s a t i s f i e d hi m s e l f t h a t n o s u c h e v i d e nc e ex i s t e d

Kerensky somewhat alte red his demeanour . A t h i s f i r s t

m e e t i n g w i t h t h e e x - T s a r , h e h a d a d o p t e d a t o n e o f h a u g h t y

f a m i l i a r i t y . L a t e r , h e b ec a m e p o l i t e , e v e n r e s p e c t f u l, a d d r e s s -

ing hi m as `Your Majesty,'instead of plain `Nicholas

A l e x a n d r o v i c h . '

A l t h o u g h t h e s o l d i e r s g u a r d i n g t h e P a l a c e w e r e n o t s u p -

p o s e d t o e n t er i t s p r e c i n c t s , t h e p r i s o n er s d i d n ot e n j oy i m -

m u n i t y f r o m t h e i r p r y i n g g a z e a n d o f f e n s i v e c u r i o s i t y . The y

b r o k e i n t o t h e P a l a c e a n d p i l f e r e d , r a n s a c k i n g t r u n k s . On

o n e o c c a s i o n t h e y r u s h e d i n t o t h e s i t t i n g - r o o m w h e r e t h e

family had assembled . One of the girls sat between the

l i g h t a n d t h e w i n d o w , d o i n g s o m e s e w i n g . He r movements

s i l h o u e t t e d o u t s i d e ha d b e e n s u s p e c t e d t o b e s i g n a l s .

An officer accompanying th e Minister of War (Guchkov)

o n o ne o f h i s v i s i t s l o ud l y a c cu s e d t h e o c cu p a n t s o f t h e P a l a c e

o f b e i n g ` sold to t he enemy' (Vy vsie prodazhnyie ) . The

f a c t t h a t h e w a s i n t o x i c a t e d d i d n o t l i g h t e n t h e i n s u l t . I t

showed what unworthy suspicions animated people in the

M i n i s t r i e s . T h e i g n o r a n t s o l d i e r s w h o i m b i b e d t h e i r d a i l y

d o s e o f r e v o l u t i o n a r y l o r e f r o m t h e S o v i e t s w e r e n o t b e t t e r

o r w o r s e t h a n t h e i r c h i e f s . B y d o g g i n g t h e e x - T s a r ' s f o o t -

s t e p s w h e n h e w e n t o u t f o r e x e r c i s e , b y s h o o t i n g t h e b o y ' s

p e t g o a t s , a n d t a k i n g a w a y h i s t o y r i f l e , a n d b y o t h e r a c t s

o f t h e s a m e k i n d t h e s o l d i e r s w e r e m e r e l y c o p y i n g t h ei r o f f i c e r s.

These demonstratively donned red badges and ignored th e

T s a r ' s s a l u te .

S e n s e l e s s c l a m o u r h a d l e d t o d a i l y e s p i o n a ge o f t h e f a m i l y .

O f f i c e r s o f t h e g u a r d w e n t i n t o t h e di n i n g - r o o m a t l u n c h t i m e



5 2 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSt o s e e i f t h e p r i s o n e r s w e r e a l l i n t h e P a l a c e . T h e T s a r a l w a y s

g r e e t e d t h e m . O n o n e o c c a s i o n a n o f f i c e r d e c l i n e d t h e e x t e n d e d

hand . Nicholas, deeply hurt, asked him : ` Why ? ' The

m a n , p u t t i n g h i s h a n d b e h i n d h i s b a c k , d e c l a i m e d : ` I amo f t h e p e o p l e . W h e n t h e p e o p l e s t r e t c h e d t h e i r h a n d s o u t

t o y o u , y o u d i d n o t m e e t t h e m ! '

At t he end of July the captives h eard that they would

s h o r t l y g o a w a y . I t w a s i m p o s s i b l e t o l e a v e t h e m t h e r e a n y

l o n g e r . T h e S o v i e t s o f P e t r o g r a d a n d K r o n s t a d t h a d t r i e d

t o o b t a i n p o s s e s s i o n o f t h e m b y f o r c e a n d b y s t e a l t h . Once

a n i n d i v i d u a l a t t i r e d i n u n i f o r m , s t y l i n g h i m s e l f C o l o n e l

M a s l o v s k y , h a d m a d e h i s a p p e a r a n c e , a n d , p r o d u c i n g a p a p e r

s i g n e d C h k h e i d z e , d e m a n d e d , i n t h e n a m e o f t h e S o v i e t o f

P e t r o g r a d , t he t r a n s f e r o f t h e p r i s o n er s t o t h e F o r t r e s s o f S S .

P e t e r a n d P a u l , t hr e a t e n i n g t o c a l l i n t h e t r o o p s i f h i s d e m a n d s

w e r e n o t i m m e d i a t e l y c o m p l i e d w i t h . I t w a s w i t h t h e gr e a t e s t

d i f f i c u l t y t h a t C o l o n e l K o b y l i n s k y a v e r t e d t h e d a n g e r . The

P r o v i s i o n a l G o v e r n m e n t c o u l d n o t a f f o r d t o l e t t h e S o v i e t s

o b t a i n t h e c u s t o d y o f s u c h v a l u a b l e h o s t a g e s . It had to

r e m o v e t h e m t o a p l a c e o f s a f e t y - a b o v e a l l t o a p l a c e w h e r e

t h e S o v i e t s c o ul d n ot e a s i l y r e a c h t h e m . P e r ha p s t h i s e x p l a i n s

t h e s e l e c t i o n of s u c h a r e m o t e p l a c e a s T o b o l s k . I t w a s c h o s e n

b y K e r e n s k y w i t h o u t t h e k n o w l e d g e o f t h e c a p t i v e s . The y

t h o u g h t , t i l l t h e t r a i n w a s c o n v e y i n g t h e m e a s t w a r d , t h a t

they were bound for the south . T h e e x - T s a r d i d n o t l i k e

h i s d e s t i n a t i on . He suspected a trap, though what should

have made him suspicious is not known .

P e r m i s s i o n h a d b e e n g i v e n t o t h e b a n i s h e d s o v e r e i g n s t o

c h o o s e t h e p e r s o n s w h o w e r e t o a c c o m p a n y t h e m i n t o e x i l e .

N i c h o l a s s e l e c t e d h i s a i d e - d e - c a m p N a r y s h k i n , b u t a s t h i s

f a v o u r i t e h e s i t a t e d , h e a t o n c e c r o s s e d o u t h i s n a m e a n d

proposed Ilya Leonidovich Tatishchev, who, with Prince



, THE TSAR I S INNOCENT' 5 3

V a s i l y A l e x a n d r o v i c h D o l g o r u k y , r e m a i n e d w i t h h i m t o t h e

e n d , p a y i n g f o r t h e i r l o y a l t y a n d d ev o t i o n w i t h t h e i r l i v e s .

I n a s e p a r a t e c ha p t e r I s h a l l d e s c r i b e t h e h e r o i s m , s u f f e r i n g s ,

a n d e n d o f t h o s e w h o w e r e f a i t h f u l u n t o d e a t h - o f t h e t w o

w h o m I h a v e j u s t n a m e d , o f D r . B o t k i n a n d o f y o u n g C o u n t e s s

A n a s t a s i a V a s i l i e v n a H e n d r y k o v a , a n g e l o f p u r i t y a n d g r a c e ,

w h o s e m e r e p r e s e n c e a t t h e C o u r t o f A l e x a n d r a s h o u l d h a v e

k e p t a w a y a l l t h i n g s e v i l , a n d o f d e v o t e d M l l e . S c h n ei d e r ,

and of t he humbler servitors . The ex- Empress was not

p e r m i t t e d , f o r s o m e u n e x p l a i n e d r e a s o n , t o t a k e h e r f a v o u r i t e

maid .

T h e e v i l g e n i u s o f t h e h o u s e h o l d , A n n a V y r u b o v a , h a d b e e n

l o c k ed u p i n t h e f o r t r e s s . S h e a n d V o e i k o v , t h e e x - p a l a c e

c o m m a n d a n t , h a d b e e n s u b j e c t e d t o t h e m o s t s e a r c h i n g i n t e r r o -

gation by th e members of th e ` Extraordinary Commission

o f I n q u i r y r e g a r d i n g t h e D a r k F o r c e s .' Such was the high-

s o u n d i n g t i t l e i n v e n t e d b y K e r e n s k y t o m o b i l i z e a l l m e t h o d s

o f b r i n g i n g h o m e t o t h e T s a r t h e a b o m i n a b l e c h a r g e s i n v e n t e d

a g a i n s t h i m . Nothing could be proved, because there was

n o t h i n g t o p r o v e . B u t K e r e n s k y h a d h i s s p i e s a l l t h e t i m e

a t t h e P a l a c e a n d s e n t o n e t o T o b o l s k .

* * *

Y o u n g A l e x i s c e l e b r a t e d h i s t h i r t e e n t h b i r t h d a y o n t h e e v e

o f d e p a r t u r e . The family attended a special service and

a f t e r w a r d s o f f e r e d u p t h e cu s t o m a r y p r a y e r s f o r a s a f e j o u r n ey .

T h e y w e r e g o i n g i n t o t h e u n k n o w n . H e r e i n t h ei r o w n f a m i l i a r

s u r r o u n d i n g s l i f e h a d n o t b e e n s o t e r r i b l e t o w a r d s t h e e n d

o f t he i r c a p t i v i t y . W h a t h a d t h e f u t u r e i n s t o r e ? The war

w a s s t i l l i n p r o gr e s s . They could not leave th e country .

P e r h a p s w h e n p e a c e c a m e , s o m e q u i e t r e f u g e w o u l d o p e n i t s

g a t e s , a n d t h e y c o u l d l i v e h a p p i l y t o g e t h e r . The girls and

t h e b o y w e r e d e l i g h t ed l i k e a l l y o u ng t h i n g s o v e r t h e p r o s p e c t

of a journey . A l e x i s a n d h i s s i s t e r s h a d q u i t e r e c o v e r e d

f r o m t h e i r i l l ne s s .



5 4 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSAt midnig ht of August 1 3 Ke re nsky came t o t he

P a l a c e , a s s e m b l e d t h e s o l d i e r s w h o h a d b ee n s e l e ct e d t o e s c o r t

the family, and made them a speech . ` You h ave guarded

t h e T s a r ' s f a m i l y h er e , ' h e s a i d , ` y o u a l s o w i l l h a v e t o g u a r d

t h e m i n t h e n e w p l a c e w h e r e t h e y a r e g o i n g b y o r d e r o f t h e

C o u n c i l o f M i n i s t e r s . Remember, one does not h it a man

who i s down . B e a r y o u r s e l v e s l i k e m e n , n o t l i k e c a d s . '

H e t h e n e n t e r e d t h e P a l a c e . T h e e x - T s a r ' s o n l y b r o t h e r ,

t h e G r a n d D u k e M i c h a e l , h a d b e e n p e r m i t t e d t o c o m e t o s a y

g o o d - b y e . Kerensky gave him ten minutes with Nicholas,

r e m a i n i n g i n the room with t hem . T h e b r o t h e r s w e r e n e v e r

to meet again . Michael did not see any oth er member of

t h e f a m i l y .

L e a r n i n g t h a t t h e T s a r ' s f a m i l y w a s t o b e r e m o v e d f r o m

T s a r s k o e - S e l o t h e m e n e m p l o ye d a t t h e r a i l w a y s t a t i o n r e f u s e d

t o l e t o u t t h e e n g i n e . A l l n i g ht t h e e x i l e s w a i t e d f o r t h e t r a i n .

I t c a m e a t s i x o ' c l o c k i n t h e m o r n i n g .



CHAPTER VIEXILE IN SIBERIA

THE period bet ween autumn, 1917, and the f ollowing

s p r i n g f ur n i s h e s m u c h m a t e r i a l f o r t h i s t r a g i c h i s t o r y .

I t w a s d u r i n g t he i r e x i l e i n S i b e r i a t h a t t h e fa t e o f t h e R o m a n -

o v s w a s d e ci d e d - n ot i n t h e U r a l s . I t w a s a t T o b o ls k , i n t he

c l os e i n t i m a c y t h a t m i s f o r t u n e n a t u r a l ly b r i n g s , t h a t t h e t r u e

c h a r a c t e r o f ea c h ca p t i v e , h i g h a n d lo w , a s s e r t e d i t s e l f . T h u s ,

i n v a l u a b l e da t a h a v e b e e n o bt a i n e d f o r t h e h i s t o r i a n .

A t f i r s t t h e c a p t i v e s e n j o ye d t h e r e s p i t e o f r e m o t e ne s s f r o m

t h e s t o r m c e n t r e o f P e t r o g r a d . But many circumstances

g r a d u a l l y i m p a i r e d t h i s a d v a n t a g e . T h e y b e g a n t o s u f f e r

p r i v a t i o n s e v e n b e f o r e t h e R e d s c a p t u r e d t h e g o v e r n m e n t .

T h e r e m i t t a n c es p r o m i s e d b y K e r en s k y d i d n o t a r r i v e . A f t e r

t h e B o ls h e v i s t u s u r p a t i o n , t he c a p t i v e s w e r e a l l ow e d s t a r v a t i o n

r a t i o n s , a n d h a d t o e k e o u t t h e i r l i v e l i h o o d b y n ee d l ew o r k ,

d r a w i n g s , e t c . T h e n t he b o y f el l i l l w i t h o n e o f h i s p e r i o d i c a l

a t t a c k s , a g g r a v a t e d b y t h e ex h a u s t i n g e f f e ct s o f t h e S i b e r i a n

w i n t e r a n d i n a d e q u a t e d i e t .

A t T o b ol s k A l e x a n d r a s h o w e d h er s e l f t o b e s t r o n g , br a v e ,

g e n t l e . A d v e r s i t y s e e m e d t o b r i n g o u t a l l t h a t w a s b e s t i n

h e r n a t u r e . Y e t h e r e t h e f a m i l y p h y s i c i a n , w h o ha d f o l lo w e d

t h e m i n t o e x i l e a n d a f t e r w a r d s s h a r e d t h e i r f a t e i n E k a t e r i n -

b u r g , b ec a m e e n t i r e l y c o n v i n ce d t h a t s h e w a s n o t q u i t e n or m a l .

I t r e q u i r e d o n ly a c h a n ce r e m a r k o n p o l i t i c a l t o p i c s t o p r o v o k e

a n h y s t e r i c a l o u t b u r s t . A s u s u a l , s h e c o ul d s e e n o t h i n g ba d

i n t h e p e a s a n t s , e v e n w h e n t he p e a s a n t s o l di e r s o f t h e g u a r d

55



5 6 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSwere c o n s t a n t l y behaving ` l i k e c a d s ' d es p i t e K e r e n s k y ' s

e x h o r t a t i o n s .

N i c h o l a s sawed wood and gave lessons to the children .

I n d e e d, w i t h t h e he l p o f M r . S i d n e y G i b b e s a n d M . G i l l a r d a n d

o t h e r t e a c h e r s , t h e y w e r e m a k i n g u p f o r t i m e l o s t i n t h e i r

e d u c a t i o n .

W i t h s o m a n y a n d s u c h p o w e r f u l i n f l u e n c e s i n t e r e s t e d i n

t h e i r e x i s t e n c e , i t w a s o n l y t o b e ex p e c t e d t h a t e f f o r t s w o u l d b e

m a d e t o e n t e r i n t o c o m m u n i c a t i o n w i t h t h e e x i l e d m o n a r c h s .

E a c h of t h e p a r t i e s t h e n fi g h t i n g f o r p o w e r i n R u s s i a h a d i t s

s p i e s a n d e m i s s a r i e s i n , ,T o b ol s k . I t i s c e r t a i n t ha t t h e G er m a n s

were represented in many ways . I t i s e q ua l l y ce r t a i n t h a t

the Entente had nobody . T h e t a l k o f a r e s c u e b y s o m e b o l d

E n g l i s h m a n a s c e n d i n g t h e O b a n d I r t y s h f r o m t h e A r c t i c O c e a n

a n d w a f t i n g a w a y t h e p r i s o n e r s i s n o t o n l y u n f o u n d e d , i t i s

t h e m e r e s t m o o n s h i n e . W i n t er i n S i b e r i a l a s t s s e v e n m o n t h s ,

d u r i n g w h i c h t i m e t h e r e i s n o m e a n s o f r e a c h i n g t h e n or t h e r n

s h o r e s e x c e p t o n s l e i g h s . A n y a t t e m p t t o e n t e r o r l e a v e t h e

c o u n t r y w o u l d h a v e b e e n e a s i l y d i s c o v e r e d a n d n o t i f i e d b y

t e l e g r a p h , w h i c h w a s w h o l l y i n t h e h a n d s o f t h e S o v i e t s .

* * * * *

O n e c o m f o r t w a s n o t d e n i e d t o t h e c a p t i v e s - t h e y s e n t a n d

r e c ei v e d l et t e r s , i n s o m e c a s e s w i t h o u t c en s o r s h i p . They were

a l s o a b l e t o g et n e w s p a p e r s a n d o t he r l i t e r a t u r e . Thus they

w e r e i n t o u ch w i t h t h e h a p p e n i n g s o f t h e ou t e r w o r l d . These

d i d n o t b r i n g t h e m m u c h c o n s o l a t i o n , i t m u s t b e a d m i t t e d .

N i c h o l a s n e v e r r e c o v e r e d f r o m t h e b l o w o f l e a r n i n g i n t h i s

m a n n e r o f t h e T r e a t y o f B r e s t - L i t o v s k . U p t o t h a t t i m e h e

h a d , i n s p i t e o f e v e r y t h i n g , k ep t a l i v e s o m e h op e f o r t h e f ut u r e

o f h i s c o un t r y .T h e n c e f o r t h h e w a s a m a n w i t h o u t h o p e , a n d

a l l t h a t ha p p e n e d a f t e r w a r d s l e f t h i m i n d i f f e r e nt . I f h e c o u l d

h a v e d i e d w i t h o u t c a u s i n g p a i n t o h i s w i f e a n d c h i l d r e n , h e

w o u l d h a v e d i e d g l a d l y , u n a b l e t o l i v e d o w n t h e s t a i n o f

d i s h o n o u r .



PLATE I II

( a )

The Tsar sawing wood in th e

c o u r t y a r d o f t h e G ov e r n o r ' s P a l a c e ,

Tobolsk. I t i s w i n t e r . He wears

t h e ;aaaha ( m i l i t a r y f u r h a t ) a i l t l

f e l t h o o t s .

( b ) ( 0 )

The Empress Alexandra The Tsarevich Alexisi n t h e Go v e r n o r ' s P a l a c e , a n d h i s s p a n i e l ` J o y , ' i n

T o b o l s k , t h e p a r k a t T s a r s k o e .

PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN DURINGTHEIR CAPTIVITY



( b )

c a )

c c )

PLATE III

PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN DURING THEIR C APTIVITY



EXILE IN SI BERIA 5 7

T h e ex i l e s s u f f er e d u nc o ns c i o u s l y f r o m t h e s e n s e l e s s i f n o t

t r a i t o r o u s b e h a v i o u r o f a m a n i n w h o m t h e y na t u r a l l y t r u s t e d -

t h e l oc a l p r i e s t , F a t h e r V a s i l i e v . B a s e c u p i d i t y m a y h a v e b e e n

h i s o n ly m o t i v e , b u t i t i s c e r t a i n t h a t h e c a u s e d i n c a lc u la b l e

h a r m a n d m u s t b e h e l d a c c o u n t a b l e f o r t h e t a l e s o f a l l e g e d

p l o t s t o e s c a p e f r o m T o b o l s k . The Reds used him as their

t o o l . P e r h a p s h e w a s n o t a l t o g e t he r b l i n d . T h e r e w e r e o t h e r

f r i e n d s ' w h o , p r o v e r b i a l l y , p r o v e d t o be w o r s e t h a n e n e m i e s .

O n t h e o t h e r h a n d , m a n y i n s t a n c e s o f d i s i n t e r e s t e d l o y a l t y

a n d d e v o t i o n co n s o l ed t h e c a p t i v e s i n t h e i r a f f l i c t i o ns .

F r o m T s a r s k o e t o T o b o l s k , t h e j o u r n e y u n d e r n o r m a l c o n -

d i t i o n s r e q u i r e d n o t m o r e t h a n a w e e k . T h e I m p e r i a l e x i l e s

r e a c h e d t h e i r d e s t i n a t i o n o n A u g u s t i g , w i t h i n s i x d a y s o f

d e p a r t u r e . T h e y t r a v e l l e d i n c o m f o r t i n s l e ep i n g c a r s w i t h a

w h o l e r e t i n u e o f s e r v a n t s . The list of the passengers as

o f f i c i a l l y a p p r o v e d n u m b e r s f o r t y - f i v e a l l t o l d . Two trains

c o n v e y e d t h e m a n d t h e i r e f f e c t s . Stoppage s were not made

a t t h e l a r g e s t a t i o n s b e c a u s e l o c a l w o r k m e n a n d S o v i e t s w e r e

d i s p o s e d t o i n t er f e r e . T h e y h a d d o n e s o a t Z v a n k a , t h e f i r s t

i m p o r t a n t s t a t i o n o n t h e V o l o g d a - V i a t k a r o u t e , b y w h i c h t h e

p a r t y t r a v e l l ed . T h e d e p u t y V e r s h i n i n , w h o h a d b r o u g h t t h e

T s a r a p r i s o n er f r o m M o gh i l e v , a c t e d a g a i n i n t h e c a p a c i t y o f

r e p r e s e n t a t i v e o f t h e P r o v i s i o n a l G o v e r n m e n t d u r i n g t h i s

j o u r n e y . H e h a d t h e g r e a t e s t d i f f i c u l t y i n o v e r c o m i n g t h e

r e s i s t a n c e a t Z v a n k a . T h e w o r k e r s d i d n o t w i s h t o a l l o w t h e

t r a i n s t o p a s s .

A t T i u m e n t w o s t e a m e r s a w a i t e d t h e p a r t y f o r t h e r i v e r

t r i p t o T o b o l s k . T h e y p a s s e d b y t h e v i l l a g e o f P o k r o v s k o e .

A l e x a n d r a c a l l e d t h e c h i l d r e n t o l o o k a t t h e b i r t h p l a c e o f t h e

` s a i n t ' o n t h e b a n k s o f t h e s t r e a m i n w h i c h h e h a d f i s h e d .

S h e w a s f o n d o f c o m p a r i n g h i m t o t h e f i s h e r m e n o f G a l i l e e ,

humble men like h im . T h e c h i l d r e n d u t i f u l l y c o m p l i e d a n d

joined their mother in prayer-not because they liked or



5 8 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSr e g r e t t e d G r i s h k a , b u t o u t o f l o v e a n d o b e d i e n c e t o t h e i r

mother . T o h e r d i s e a s e d i m a g i n a t i o n t h i s c o i n ci d e n ce b e t w e e n

t h e s c e n e o f t h e i r e x i l e a n d t h e ho m e o f R a s p u t i n h a d a m y s t i c a l

meaning .

T h e v o y a g e h a d b e e n a s p l e a s a n t a s i t c o u l d p o s s i b l y b e .

T h e t e d i u m o f t h e l o n g d a y s i n t h e t r a i n h a d b e e n r e l i e v e d b y

f r e q u e n t s t o p p a g e s a m i d s t f o r e s t o r f i e l d . All who wished

c o u l d a l i g h t a n d w a l k , w h i l e t h e t r a i n f o l l ow e d s l o w l y . Such

c o m f o r t s a r e p o s s i b l e o n l y i n R u s s i a . D e s c e n d i n g t h e t r i -

b u t a r i e s o f t h e m i g h t y I r t y s h , t h e e x i l e s h a d a w o n d e r f u l

p i c t u r e of t h e S i b e r i a n a u t u m n , w i t h i t s s p l e n d ou r o f c ol o ur i n g

a n d t e e m i n g b i r d l i f e . A t T o b o l s k t h e y h a d t o r e m a i n a w h o l e

w e e k i n t h e s t e a m e r s , b e c a u s e t h e h o u s e s i n t e n d e d f o r t h e m

w e r e n o t r e a d y . T h e y w e r e , o f c o u r s e , u n d e r c o n s t a n t g u a r d ,

b u t a l l ow e d t o t a k e e x e r c i s e a s h o r e .

O n A ug u s t 2 6 t h e y m o v e d i n t o t h ei r n e w p r i s o n . Alexandra

w a s s u f f e r i n g m o r e t h a n u s u a l f r o m h e r t r o u b l e . She drove

i n a c o m f o r t a b l e c a r r i a g e . The Tsar and the family and

household walked . W i t h t h e e x c e p t i o n o f a f e w s e r v a n t s ,

a l l f o u n d a c c o m m o d a t i o n i n t w o h o u s e s : one a warm, roomy

s t o n e b u i l d i n g , f o r m e r l y t h e r e s i d e n ce o f t h e G o v e r n o r ; t h e

o t h e r a d j o i n i n g i t a n d k n o w n a s t h e K o r n i l o v h ou s e . T h e e x -

s o v e r e i g n s a n d t h e i r c h i l d r e n t o o k u p t h e i r q u a r t e r s i n t h e

u p p e r s t o r e y o f t h e G o v e r n o r ' s h o u s e . H e r e w e r e t h e T s a r ' s

s t u d y a n d t h e b e d- c h a m b e r s o f t h e i m p e r i a l c o u p l e , o f A l e x i s

and of th e Grand duchesse s . Here also was the drawing-

room . D o w n s t a i r s w e r e t h e s c h o o l - r o o m , s e r v a n t s ' r o o m s ,

a n d t h e q u a r t e r s o f t h e c o m m a n d a n t a n d o f f i c e r s o n g u a r d

duty . T h e s u i t e a n d o t h e r s e r v a n t s l i v e d i n t h e K o r n i l o v

house . L a t e r , t h e s o l d i e r s e x p e l l ed m a n y o f t h e s e o cc u p a n t s

without reason, and, as some of them had to be accommo-

d a t e d i n t h e G o v e r n o r ' s h o u s e , t h e r e w a s n o s m a l l d i s c o m f o r t

from overcrowding .



EXILE IN S I BE R I A 5 9

B o t h h o u s e s f a c e d t h e m a i n s t r e e t , w h i c h h a d b ee n r e - n a m e d

U l i t z a S v o b o d y ( L i b e r t y S t r e e t ) . P e o p l e p a s s i n g b y c o u l d

s e e i n t o t he l o w e r r o o m s . I t b e c a m e a c u s t o m t o b o w t o a n y

m e m b e r o f t h e f a m i l y w h o h a p p e n e d t o b e v i s i b l e , a n d s o m e

o f t h e c i t i z e n s w o u l d d e m o n s t r a t i v e l y m a k e t h e s i g n o f t h e

C r o s s . B e h i n d t h e G o v e r n o r ' s h o u s e w a s a n i m m e n s e e n c l o -

sure, surrounded by a high wooden fence . H e r e t h e f a m i l y

t o o k t h ei r e x e r c i s e ; here th e e x-Tsar chopped and sawed

w o o d , a n d w i t h h i s o w n u n a i d e d e f f o r t s b u i l t a s o r t o f w o o d e n

t e r r a c e , w h e r e t h e ca p t i v e s l o v e d t o s i t w h e ne v e r t h e w e a t h e r

p e r m i t t e d .

E a r l y r i s i n g w a s t h e r ul e . A l l e x c e p t t h e e x - E m p r e s s w e r e

r e a d y f o r b r e a k f a s t b y 8 . 3 0 . A l e x a n d r a ' s h e a l t h w a s s o b a d

t h a t s h e s e l d o m l e f t h e r r o o m b e f o r e l u n c h - t i m e . B r e a k f a s t ,

a s u s u a l a m o n g R u s s i a n s , w a s a s l i g h t m e a l o f t e a a n d b r e a d .

T h e ex - T s a r h a d i t i n h i s s t u d y w i t h h i s e l de s t d a u g h t e r O lg a ,

w h o o f a l l t h e ch i l d r e n m o s t r e s e m b l ed h i m i n c h a r a c t e r . The

o t h e r c h i l d r e n a n d m e m b e r s o f t h e h o u s e h o l d a s s e m b l e d i n

t h e d i n i n g - r o o m , s i t u a t e d o n t h e g r o u n d f lo o r o f t h e G o v e r n o r ' s

house . T h e E m p r e s s h a d c o f f e e i n b e d .

T i l l e le v e n o ' c l o ck N i c h o la s r e a d or w r o t e h i s d i a r y , w h i l e

t h e c h i l d r e n ha d l e s s o n s . F r o m e l e v e n t i l l n o o n f a t h e r a n d

c hi l d r e n w e r e i n t h e c o u r t y a r d . He worked with axe or saw

a n d t h e y o u n g f o l k s p l a y e d g a m e s . A t t w e l v e o' c l o ck a l l w e n t

t o t h e s c h o o l - r o o m a n d h a d s a n d w i c h e s , a f t e r w h i c h t h e T s a r

l e f t h i s c h i l dr e n t o c o n t i n u e t he i r l e s s o n s . The family and

h o u s e h o l d m e t a t o n e o ' c l o c k a t l u n c h - a s i m p l e m e a l - a f t e r

w h i c h t h e y w e r e i n t h e o p e n a i r , w e a t h e r p e r m i t t i n g , t i l l 4

p . m . T h e E m p r e s s s e l d o m l e f t t h e h o u s e . O l g a a n d T a t i a n a ,

t h e t w o e l d er G r a n d d u ch e s s e s , h e l p e d t h ei r f a t h e r i n h i s m a n -

u a l w o r k . A l e x i s g e ne r a l l y h a d a s h o r t s l e ep a f t e r l u n ch , a n d

t h e n f ol l o w e d t h e o t h e r s i n t o t h e c o u r t y a r d w i t h h i s t u t o r s .

F i v e o ' c l o c k t e a w a s s e r v e d i n t h e T s a r ' s s t u d y . The n

f o l l ow e d a n i n t e r v a l f o r r e a d i n g or g a m e s , t h e n t w o h o u r s f o r



6 o THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSp r e p a r a t i o n o f l e s s o n s . D i n n e r a t e i g h t c o n s i s t e d o f s o u p ,

f i s h , m e a t , s w e e t - d i s h a n d c of f e e . It was prepared by the

Imperial cook, Haritonov, and during t he earlier period

d i f f er e d l i t t l e f r o m t h e c u s t o m a r y r e p a s t o f o l d t i m e s . Every-

body met in th e drawing-room after dinner . There were

r e a d i n g a n d c o n v e r s a t i o n , C o u r t e t i q u e t t e b e i n g f o r g o t t e n .

A l ex i s r e t i r e d t o r e s t e a r l y . A t e l ev e n o ' c l oc k t e a w a s s e r v e d ,

a n d s o o n a f t e r w a r d s a l l l i g h t s w e r e o u t .

D e s p i t e h e r p o o r h e a l t h , A l e x a n d r a w a s s e l d o m i d l e . I n

t h e m o r n i n g s h e g a v e l e s s o n s t o t h e c h i l d r e n a n d d i d n e e d l e -

work . W h e n s h e r e m a i n e d a l o n e i n t h e h o u s e s h e w o u l d p l a y

t h e p i a n o . O f t e n , w h e n t h e h ea r t t r o u b l e w a s s e v e r e , s h e h a d

d i n n e r a l s o i n h e r r o o m , a n d t h e n A l e x i s k e p t h e r c o m p a n y .

T h e c o m p a n y a t t a b l e i n c l u d e d b e s i d e s t h e f a m i l y o n l y t h e

p e r s o n s a l r e a d y m e n t i o n e d a s f o r m i n g t h e h o u s e h o l d - n a m e l y

Countess Hendrykova, Mlle . S c h n e i d e r , P r i n c e D o l g o r u k y ,

G e n e r a l T a t i s h c h e v , M r . G i b b e s , M . G i l l a r d , a n d D r . B o t k i n .

On Sundays came Dr . D e r e v e n k o a n d h i s s o n K o l i a .

T h e T s a r g a v e l es s o n s t o A le x i s i n h i s t o r y , a f a v o u r i t e s u b -

j e c t , i n w h i c h N i c h ol a s w a s e x t r e m e l y w e l l v e r s e d . Alexandra

i n s t r u c t e d a l l t h e c h i l d r e n i n r e l i g i o n , a n d t a u g ht h e r f a v o u r i t e

daught er Anastasia German-a language th at none of t he

c h i l d r e n u n d e r s t o o d . Anast asia was ambi ti ous to know

e v e r y t h i n g . S h e s t u d i e d h i s t o r y w i t h t h e h e l p o f C o u n t e s s

Hendrikova . Anoth er t eache r, Mme . B i t t n e r , c a m e a f t e r -

w a r d s t o h e lp i n t h e s c h o o l- r o o m . T o r e l i e v e t h e m o n o t o ny o f

t h e i r l i v e s , t h e c h i l d r e n w e r e e n co u r a g e d t o t a k e u p p r i v a t e

t h e a t r i c a l s . S e v e r a l p l a y s , E n g l i s h a n d F r e n c h , w e r e p r o -

d u c e d w i t h g r e a t s u c c e s s .

T o t h e E m p r e s s ' s i n t e n s e j o y , t h e y w e r e p e r m i t t e d t o a t t e n d

church . H e r g r e a t e s t s o r r o w a t T s a r s k o e h a d b e e n t h e i n t e r -

d i c t o n c h u r c h - g o i n g , t h e n e a r e s t p l a c e o f w o r s h i p b e i n g

o u t s i d e t h e p r e c i n ct s o f t h e P a l a c e a nd t h e r e f or e i n a c c e s s i b l e

t o t h e p r i s o n er s . H e r e a t l a s t t h e y c o u l d g o t o c h u r c h , a f t e r



EXILE IN S I BE R I A 6 i

a lapse of more than four months . B u t t h e s a c r e d e d i f i c e

w a s c l o s e d t o o t h e r w o r s h i p p e r s w h e n t h e e x i l e s a t t e n de d i t .

U n h a p p i l y , t h i s s o u r c e o f s p i r i t u a l c o m f o r t w a s n o t u n -

alloyed with temporal drawbacks . F a t h e r V a s i l i e v , t h e i n -

c u m b e n t , d i d a v e r y r a s h t h i n g o n e d a y . W i t h o u t c o n s u l t i n g

a n y b o d y , h e s u d d e n l y i n t o n e d t h e p r a y e r s f o r t h e s o v e r e i g n s

a s i f t h e y w e r e s t i l l o n t h e Th r o n e . T h e e x i l e s w e r e p o w e r -

l e s s t o i n t e r f er e . O f c o u r s e , t h e i n c i d e n t c a m e t o t h e k n o w -

ledge of th e whole garrison immediately afterwards, and

l e d t o t h e s o r t o f r e p r i s a l s t h a t o n e m i g h t h a v e e x p e c t e d :

c h u r c h - g o i n g w a s s t o p p e d f o r e v e r , a n d , w h a t w a s w o r s e , t h e

s o l di e r s i n s i s t e d u p o n h a v i n g a r e p r e s e n t a t i v e i n s i d e t he ho u s e

a t a l l r e li g i o u s s e r v i c e s , t o s e e t h a t t h e a b ov e - n a m e d p r a c t i c e

w a s n o t r e p e a t e d . T h u s a l l t h e e f f o r t s o f C o l o ne l K o b y li n s k y ,

t h e g o od - h e a r t e d c o m m a n d a n t , t o k e e p t h e s o l d i e r s o u t o f t h e

h o u s e w e r e d e f e a t e d .

W i t h i n a m o n t h o f t h e i r a r r i v a l i n T o b o l s k t h e e x i l e s w e r e

p l a c e d un d er t h e o bs e r v a t i o n o f s p e c i a l e m i s s a r i e s o f t h e P r o -

v i s i o n a l G o v e r n m e n t : t h e K o m i s a r P a n k r a t o v a n d h i s a s s i s t -

a n t , N i k o l s k y . T h e f o r m e r e n j o y e d h i g h c o n f i d e n c e a n d r e -

n o w n i n r e v o l u t i o n a r y c i r c l e s , h a v i n g s p e n t f i f t e e n y e a r s i n t h e

F o r t r e s s o f S c h lu s s e l bu r g a n d t w e n t y - s e v e n y e a r s i n e x i l e i n

S i b e r i a . A t y p i c a l t h e o r i s t , d a n g e r o u s i n h i s t e a c h i n g s , h e

w a s p e r s o n a l l y t h e b e s t - h e a r t e d o f m e n . H e a d o r e d c h i l d r e n ,

a n d w a s t h e p l a y m a t e o f t h e y o u n g R o m a n o v s , w h o m h e l i t e r -

a l l y en t h r a ll e d w i t h s t o r i e s o f h i s p r i s o n y e a r s . H i s p a r t i c u la r

f a v o u r i t e w a s M a r i e . N i k o l s k y , o n t h e o t h e r h a n d , w a s u n -

c o u t h , u n c u l t u r e d , b r u t a l , a n d s t u p i d , a n d t o o k a n a p p a r e n t

d e l i g h t i n b u l l y i n g t h e y o u n g f o l k s , e s p e c i a l l y A l e x i s . W i t h

permission from the Government, some medicinal wine had

been sent to Tobolsk from Tsarskoe . Nikolsky took the

bottles and smashed them .

A s a m a t t e r o f f a c t , t h e d el i g h t f ul b u t n ot v e r y f a r - s i g h t e d



6 2 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSP a n k r a t o v c a u s e d m u c h m o r e h a r m t h a n t h e b e s t i a l N i k o l s k y .

T r u e t o h i s r e v o l ut i o n a r y p r i n c i p l e s , h e i m m e d i a t e l y p r o c e e de d

t o i n d o c t r i n a t e t h e s o l di e r s . P e r h a p s h e f e a r e d t h e p e r s o n a l

i n f l u e n c e a n d c h a r m o f t h e e x - T s a r . P a n k r a t o v t a l k e d w i t h

t h e m b y t h e h o u r o n t h e w o n d er s o f t h e S o c i a l i s t - R e v o l u t i o n -

ary programme, and, as so often happened in Russia, the

i g n o r a n t l i s t e n e r s b e c a m e n o t S o c i a l i s t - R e v o l u t i o n a r i e s b u t

B o l s h e v i s t s . Anyhow, they very soon lost all respect for

a u t h o r i t y i n t h e p e r s o n s o f t h e i r c o m m a n d a n t a n d o f f i c e r s

a n d b e ga n t o i l l - t r e a t t h e p r i s o n er s . T h e y s a n k s o l o w t h a t

e v e n t h e y ou n g gr a n d d u c h es s e s s u f f e r e d i n s u l t . Le wd draw-

i n g s a n d i n s c r i p t i o n s d i s f i g u r e d t he p o s t s o f t he s w i n g t ha t w a s

t h e i r o n ly o ut d o o r p a s t i m e . L a t e r , t h e s e h o ol i g a n s b r o k e u p t h e

i c e - h i l l t h a t t h e gi r l s a n d t h e i r f a t h e r h a d p u t u p i n t h e y a r d .

The day came when th ey included the ex-Tsar in thei r

d e v i l r i e s . N i c h o l a s w o r e t h e s i m p l e s t g a r b - a s o l d i e r ' s k h a k i

s h i r t a n d o v e r c oa t , r e t a i n i n g o nl y hi s c o lo n el ' s s h o ul d e r - s t r a p s

a n d h i s C r o s s o f S t . G e o r g e . S u d d e n l y t h e s o l d i e r s d e c i d e d

t h a t h e m u s t t a k e o f f hi s b a d g es o f r a n k . In vain Kobylinsky

remonstrated with them . T h e y t h r e a t e n e d v i o l e n c e i f t h e i r

` o r d e r s ' w e r e n o t c a r r i e d o u t a t o n c e . I t h u r t t h e e x - T s a r

t o t h e q ui c k t o c u t o f f hi s s h o ul d er - s t r a p s . T h e n c e f o r t h t h e

c r o s s a l o ne r e m a i n e d t o s y m b o l i z e h i s f i d e l i t y t o R u s s i a a n d

h e r a l l i e s . H e k e p t i t e v e r o n h i s b r e a s t t o h i s d y i n g d a y .

Some of the old soldiers remained immune from Pankra-

t o v ' s i n f l u e nc e , a nd w h e n t h e t i m e c a m e f o r t h e m t o b e r e l i e v e d ,

t h e y v i s i t e d t h e e x - T s a r b y s t e a l t h t o b i d g o o d - b y e . These

w e r e a f f e c t i n g s c e n e s . T h e m e n f e l l o n t h e i r k n e e s a n d p r a y e d ,

a n d t h e n e m b r a c e d t h e c a p t i v e a n d b l e s s e d h i m . O f c o u r s e ,

N i c h ol a s r e l a t e d a l l t h i s t o A l e x a n d r a , w h e r e b y h e r i n v i n c i b l e

b e l i e f i n t h e p e a s a n t s g a t h e r e d n e w s t r e n g t h .

* * * * *

O n s e v e r a l o c ca s i o n s v i o l en t d i s p u t e s a r o s e b e t w e e n Al e x a n -

d r a a n d o n e o f t h e l a d i e s , b e c a u s e t h e l a t t e r s p o k e o f t h e



EXILE IN S I B E R I A 63

h o r r i b l e b e h a v i o u r o f t h e s o l di e r s . A l e x a n dr a l o s t a l l c o nt r o l

o v e r h e r s e l f , a n d cr i e d : ` T h e y a r e a l l g o o d ! T h e y a r e a l l

good ! They are led astray by Jews . . . . T h e p e o p l e w i l l

c o m e t o t h e i r s e n s e s , a n d t h e r e w i l l b e o r d e r . . . . T h e s o l -

d i e r s a r e a l l r i g h t . I w i s h t h e o f f i c e r s w e r e m o r e e n e r g e t i c . '

I n N o v e m b e r , w h i l e K e r e n s k y w a s s t i l l a t t h e h e a d o f t h e

G o v e r n m e n t , n o m o n e y h a d a s y e t b e e n r e c e i v e d , i n s p i t e o f

a l l h i s p r o m i s e s . T h e f u n d s o f t h e h o u s e h o l d h a d r u n o u t , a n d

D o l g o r u k y a n d T a t i s h c h e v , h a v i n g e x p e n d e d t h e i r o w n s u b -

s t a n c e , h a d t o bo r r o w f r o m c h a r i t a b l e s o u ls i n t h e t o w n , gi v i n g

t h e i r n o t e o f h a n d i n r e t u r n . Two months later, word came

f r o m t h e S o v i e t G o v e r n m e n t t h a t i t h a d n o m o n e y t o s p e n d

o n t h e p r i s o n e r s . They would be allowed to occupy their

h o us e s f r e e o f c ha r g e , w o u l d r e c e i v e s o l d i e r s ' r a t i o n s , a n d h a v e

to work if t hey wanted anyth ing more . S o r r o w f u l l y , t h e y

f a c e d t he s i t u a t i o n . O n e - t h i r d o f t h e s e r v a n t s w e r e a t o n c e

r e l e a s e d , ea c h r e c ei v i n g a c e r t a i n s u m o u t o f t h e s c a n t y r e m -

n a n t s . N i c h o l a s a n d A l e x a n d r a n e v e r k n e w h o w t h e i r f a i t h -

f u l f o l l o w e r s h a d t o p i n c h a n d c o nt r i v e i n o r d e r t o k e e p t h e

h o u s e h o l d f r o m s t a r v a t i o n .

A l e x i s a s t o n i s h e d t h e h o u s e h o l d b y h i s p r e c o c i o u s u n d e r -

s t a n d i n g . ` I begin to know the truth here . At Tsarskoe

e v e r y b o d y t o l d l i e s , ' h e r e m a r k e d o n e d a y . ' If I become

T s a r , n o o ne w i l l da r e t o t e l l m e l i e s . I s h a l l m a k e o r d e r i n

the land . ' H e c o m b i n e d h i s m o t h e r ' s w i l l w i t h h i s f a t h e r ' s

charm . Those who came to know t he boy at Tobolsk are

c o nf i d e nt t h a t h e w o u l d h a v e j u s t i f i e d h i s w o r d s .

T o a v i s i t o r a t h i s b e d s i d e w h e n h e w a s i l l , h e s p o k e h i s

t h o u g h t s a b o u t R a s p u t i n . T h e ' s a i n t ' s ' p o r t r a i t h a d b e e n

p l a c e d b y A l e x a n d r a n e a r h e r s i c k s o n ' s p i l l o w . T h e v i s i t o r

a c c i d en t a l l y u p s e t i t . ' D o n o t p i c k i t u p ! ' c r i e d A l e x i s .

` T h e f lo o r i s t h e p l a c e f or i t . '



6 4 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVS* * * * *

T o w a r d s t h e e nd o f t h e i r e x i l e , s o m e , i f n o t a l l , of t h e c a p -

t i v e s r e a l i z e d t h e de s p e r a t e n a t u r e of t h e i r p o s i t i o n , a n d ha d

s c a n t h op e o f s u r v i v i n g B o ls h e v i s t r u l e f or a n y l e ng t h o f t i m e .

P a t h e t i c e v i d e n c e s o f t h e i r a t t i t u d e w e r e f o u n d a m o n g t h e

p a p e r s t h a t r e m a i n e d a t T o b o l s k a n d c a m e i n t o t h e h a n d s o f

t h e i n v e s t i g a t i n g m a g i s t r a t e . Among the m are two prayers

w r i t t e n i n v e r s e - a p p a r e n t l y c o m p o s e d b y C o u n t e s s H e n d r y -

k o v a a n d t r a n s c r i b e d b y t h e G r a n d D u c h e s s O l g a . H e r e i s a n

a p p r o x i m a t e r e n d e r i n g o f s o m e o f t h e v e r s e s :-

Grant us Thy pati ence, Lord,

In th ese our woeful days,

The mob's wrath t o endure,

The torturers' ire ;

Thine uncti on to forgi ve

Our neig hbours' persecution,

And mild, like Thee , to be ar

A blood-st ained Cross .

And whe n the mob prevails,

And foe s come t o despoil us,

To suffe r humbly sh ame,

0 S avio ur aid us !

And when the hour comes

To pass th e last dread gate ,

Breath e st rength in us to pray,

Fath er, forgi ve th em ! '



CHAPTER VIIMOSCOW AND BERLINTHE intimate connexion betwee n Berlin and Moscow

yielded many living examples among t he visitors

t o T o b o l s k . M a n y , i f n o t a l l , of t h e s p i e s , e m i s s a r i e s , a n d

o t h e r a g en t s a p p e a r i n g t h e r e ha d b e e n a t o n e t i m e o r a n o t h er i n

t h e G e r m a n c a p i t a l . Y a k o v l e v , t h e s p e c i a l c o m m i s s a r y s e n t t o

r e m o v e t h e p r i s o ne r s f r o m T o b o ls k , w a s n o ex c e p t i o n t o t h e r ul e

Hi s appearance was preceded by certain events which

must be related here . The soldiers forming the guard at

T o b o l s k g r e w t i r e d o f P a n k r a t o v a n d h i s e v e r l a s t i n g s p e e c h e s .

B y t h e e n d o f t h e f i r s t w e e k i n F e b r u a r y ( I 9 i 8 ) t h e y h a d d e -

c i d e d t o g e t r i d o f h i m a n d o f N i k o l s k y . On the 9th th ey

turned them out of the Kornilov house and drove them out

of the town . They then telegraphed to Moscow, reporting

what they had done, and asked that a proper commissary-

n o t a n a p p o i n t e e o f K e r e n s k y - s h o u l d b e s e n t . But Moscow

r e m a i n e d o b s t i n a t e l y s i l e n t . The t ime f or acti on had not

y e t a r r i v e d . M e a n w h i l e , t h e S o v i e t a t O m s k , r e p r e s e n t i n g

Western Siberia, sent a representative to Tobolsk . H e

arrived on March 24 . Thi s man was a certain Dut zman,

a Jew . H e d i d n o t i n t e r f e r e w i t h t h e p r i s o n reg ime;n d e e d ,

h e n e v e r c a m e n e a r t h e g o v e r n o r ' s h o u s e .

At the end of March, Alexis had a severe attack of his

illness-the worst ever known . Both legs were paralysed .

T h e p a i n w a s e x c r u c i a t i n g a n d u n r e m i t t i n g . D a y a n d n i g h t h e

c r i e d a l o u d i n hi s a g o n y , a n d t h e p r e m a t u r e l y a g e d a n d i n f i r m

m o t h e r h a d t o s i t b y a n d c o m f o r t h i m . A f t e r a w h o l e m o n t h

o f s u f f e r i n g t h e p a t i e n t b e g a n t o i m p r o v e a n d t h e p a i n s g r e w

65 E



6 6 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSl e s s , b u t he w a s s t i l l a c r i p p l e a nd c ou l d n o t b e m o v e d w i t h o u t

s e r i o u s d a n ge r . A t t h i s j u n c t u r e a p p e a r e d t h e S o v i e t e m i s -

s a r y , Y a k o v l e v . N e i t h e r t h e s o l d i e r s n o r t h e c a p t i v e s w e r e

s u r p r i s e d . Only a few days later they understood what an

important part he had come to play i n t h e i r l i v e s .

* * *

Y a k o v l e v r e a c h e d T o b o l s k w i t h a n e s c o r t o f 1 5 o h o r s e m e n

l a t e i n t h e e v e n i n g o f A p r i l 22 and unobtrusively took up

h i s r e s i d e n c e i n t h e K o r n i l o v h o u s e . Colonel Kobylinsky

saw hi m next morning . Yakovlev handed h im an order

f r o m t h e T s i k , s i g n e d b y S v e r d l o v , i n t i m a t i n g t h a t t h e b e a r e r

w a s e n t r u s t e d w i t h a m i s s i o n o f t h e h i g h e s t i m p o r t a n c e a n d

t h a t h e m u s t b e i m p l i c i t l y o b e y e d , b u t n o h i n t w a s g i v e n a s

t o t h e n a t u r e o f t h e m i s s i o n . Yakovlev th en had the men

o f t h e g u a r d m u s t e r e d a n d s h o w e d t h e m a s i m i l a r d o c u m e n t ,

b y w h i c h t h e y w e r e i n f o r m e d t h a t a n y d i s o b e d i e n c e t o h i m

w o u l d b e p u n i s h e d w i t h d e a t h . T o s u g a r t h e p i l l , Y a k o v l e v

told them that h e had brought t hem a lot of money, th e

S o v i e t h a v i n g d e c i d e d t o p a y a t t h e r a t e o f t h r e e r o u b l e s a

d a y i n s t e a d o f 5 o k o p e c k s , t h e r a t e f i x e d b y t h e K e r e n s k y

Government . Altog et he r, Yakovlev showed himself to be

a n e x p e r t i n t h e a r t o f h a n d l i n g p e a s a n t s o l di e r s , b u t h e h a d

to overcome opposition of a more subtle kind from a Jew

named Zaslavsky, who had insinuated himself among t he

g u a r d s a s t h e r e p r e s e n t a t i v e of t h e U r a l i a n S o v i e t . This man

h a d p r e v i o u s l y c a u s e d n o e n d o f t r o u b l e b y ' d i s c o v e r i n g '

` p l o t s , ' a n d h a d a l m o s t p e r s u a d ed t h e s o l d i er s o n on e oc c a s i o n

t o i n s i s t t h a t t h e I m p e r i a l c a p t i v e s s h o u ld b e t r a n s f e r r ed t o t h e

t o w n l o c k - u p . I n f a c t , h e r e o n c e m o r e i t w a s o n l y t h e co o l -

n e s s o f t h e r e s o u r c e fu l K ob y l i n s k y t h a t h a d s a v e d t h e s i t u a t i o n .

B u t t h i s n o x i o u s i n d i v i d u a l d i d n o t h a v e t h i n g s a l l h i s

own way . The Omsk Sovie t also had it s representative

among t he guard-a Russian named De g t iarev . Now th e

two S ovie ts-th at of Omsk and the one at Ekaterinburg-



MOSCOW AND BERLIN 6 7

b e i n g c o n s t a n t l y a t o d d s , t h e i r e m i s s a r i e s w e r e n a t u r a l l y

j e a l o u s o f e a c h o t h e r . Thus it was enough for Zaslavsky

t o t a k e o n e v i e w i n o r d e r t h a t D e g t i a r e v s h o u ld t a k e t h e o p -

p o s i t e o n e . Zaslavsky had 'for some reason immediately

s t i r r e d u p o p p o s i t i o n t o Y a k o v l e v a n d t r i e d t o p e r s u a d e t h e

s o l d i e r s t h a t h e w a s a s p y c o m e t o d e l i v e r t h e p r i s o n e r s .

W i t h Z a s l a v s k y w a s a n E k a t e r i n b u r g w o r k m a n n a m e d A v d e i e v ,

w h o f i g u r e d p r o m i n e n t l y i n s u b s e q u e n t ' e v e n t s . I t i s n ot e -

worthy th at Yakovlev came to Tobolsk by way of Ufa-a

roundabout journey from Moscow-apparently in order to

a v o i d E k a t e r i n b u r g . Yakovlev had friends in Ufa . I t i s

probable that he had met Avdei ev there . He appears to

have imagined that Avdei ev might help him to prevent or

a l l a y s u s p i c i o n i n E k a t e r i n b u r g . In this he was mistaken .

A t a m e e t i n g o f t h e s o l d i e r s o n t h e 2 4 t h , D e gt i a r e v , b a c k e d

by Yakovlev, attacked Zaslavsky with such vim that the

m e n t h r e w h i m o u t , a n d h e m a d e h a s t e t o e s c a p e t o E k a t e r -

i n b u r g t o r e l a t e a p u r e l y i m a g i n a r y s t o r y o f Y a k o v l e v ' s d e s i g n s

to release th e Romanovs . But t here i s evidence t o show

that he first communicated by wire with Sverdlov . Z a s -

l a v s k y ' s p o i s o n o u s c h a r a c t e r m a y h a v e b e e n t h e o n l y p r o m p t -

i n g n e c e s s a r y , b u t i t i s n o t i m p o s s i b l e t h a t h e m a y h a v e

b e e n ' i n s p i r e d ' f r o m M o s c o w t o p l a y a p a r t i n t h e i n t r i c a t e

conspiracy th at was to e xterminate the Romanovs . C e r -

t a i n l y Y a k o v l ev u n d er r a t e d h i s c a p a c i t y f o r m i s c h i e f , a s w i l l

a p p e a r l a t er . S v e r d l o v t r i e d t o m a k e t h e w o r l d b e l i e v e t h a t

Nicholas II was to be brough t to Moscow for trial . But

t h i s m a y h a v e o n l y b e e n a n a f t e r - t h o u g h t . I n a n y ca s e , i t

was easy to have him intercepted by playing upon local

i g n o r a n c e a n d s u s p i c i o n t h r o u g h Z a s l a v s k y .

Meanwhile, during these two days (the 23rd and 24th),

Y a k o v l e v h a d b e e n r e p e a t e d l y i n s i d e t h e g o v e r n o r ' s h o u s e ,

a n d o n e a c h o c c a s i o n h a d g o n e t o t h e b o y ' s r o o m , a p p e a r i n g



6 8 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSs u d d e nl y , l o ok i n g f i x e d l y a t t h e p a t i e n t , a n d t h e n g oi n g a w a y .

Nobody noticed his strange behaviour at the time . The y

r e m e m b e r e d i t a f t e r w a r d s . No one knew as yet what h e had

c o m e f o r . On the night of the 24th Yakovlev went to the

t e l eg r a p h o f f i c e , t a k i n g w i t h h i m a n e x p e r t o p e r a t o r w h o h a d

come with him from Moscow, and had a long conversati on

o v e r t h e w i r e w i t h S v e r d l ov , t h e s u b s t a n c e o f w h i c h - a s t r a n s -

p i r e d l a t er - d e a lt w i t h t h e bo y ' s s i c k ne s s a n d t he i m p o s s i b i l i t y

of moving him . S v e r d l o v g a v e h i m ` n e w i n s t r u c t i o n s ' t o t h e

e f f e c t t h a t h e w a s t o b r i n g N i c h o l a s a n d t h a t s i n c e t h e b o y

c o u l d no t c o m e h e w o u l d h a v e t o b e l e f t b e h i n d f o r t h e p r e s e n t .

F r o m t h e t e l eg r a p h o f f i c e , Y a k o v l e v w e n t s t r a i g h t t o C o l on e l

K o b y li n s k y a n d , fo r t h e f i r s t t i m e , d i s c l o s e d t h e o bj e c t o f hi s

m i s s i o n . `But wh at about Alexis? ' remonstrated th e

commandant . ` T h a t i s t h e t r o u b l e, ' w a s t h e r e p l y . ` I h a v e

s a t i s f i e d m y s e l f t h a t h e i s r e a l l y t o o i ll t o t r a v e l , s o m y o r d e r s

n o w a r e t o t a k e t h e e x - T s a r a l o ne a n d l e a v e t h e f a m i l y h e r e f o r

t h e p r e s e n t . I p r o p o s e t o s t a r t t o - m o r r o w . A r r a n g e f o r m e

t o s e e h i m a t o n c e . ' I t s h o ul d b e ex p l a i n e d t h a t a s t h e r o a d s

w o u l d , i n a f e w d a y s , b e c o m e i m p a s s a b l e , a n d t h e r i v e r - i c e

b r e a k u p a n y m o m e n t , o w i n g t o t h e a d v a n c e o f s p r i n g , i t w a s

n e ce s s a r y t o l e a v e T o bo l s k a t o n c e or w a i t s e v e r a l w e e k s t i l l

t h e r i v e r s w e r e c l e a r o f i c e . H e n c e Y a k o v l e v ' s h a s t e . B u t a s

h e w a s a p p a r e n t l y w e l l a c q u a i n t e d w i t h t h e c h a r a c t e r o f t h e

E m p r e s s , h e i n s i s t e d t h a t N i c ho l a s s h o ul d r e c e i v e h i m a l o n e .

T h e e x - T s a r a p p o i n t e d t w o o ' c l o c k on t h e f o l l o w i n g d a y f o r

t h e i n t e r v i e w . A l e x a n d r a b e c a m e f u r i o u s o n l e a r n i n g t h a t

she was not to be present . Wh en Yakovlev ente red the

d r a w i n g - r o o m , s h e m e t h i m w i t h f l a m i n g e y e s a n d a s k e d h i m

h o w h e d a r e d t o s e p a r a t e h u s b a n d a n d w i f e . Y a k o v l e v , w i t h

a s h r u g of t h e s h o u ld e r s , a d d r e s s e d hi m s e l f t o N i c h ol a s : `The

Moscow Central Executive Commit tee have sent me as Com-

missary Extraordinary wit h power to remove th e whole

f a m i l y , b u t a s A l ex i s N i k o la i e v i c h i s i l l I h a v e r e c e i v e d or d e r s




t o l e a v e w i t h y o u a l on e . ' T h e T s a r r e p l i e d : ' I s h a l l g o n o -

where . ' Yakovlev remonstrated : `You must not say that .

I h a v e t o c a r r y o u t o r d e r s . I f y o u r e fu s e t o g o , I m u s t e i t h e r

u s e f o r c e o r s e n d i n m y r e s i g n a t i o n , a n d t h e n s o m e o n e e l s e w i l l

c o m e w h o w i l l b e l e s s h u m a n e . Have no anxie ty ; I a n s w e r

f o r y o u r l i f e w i t h m y h e a d . I f y o u d o no t w i s h t o g o a l o ne ,

t a k e a n y b o d y y o u l i k e . B e r e a d y t o l e a v e t o - m o r r o w a t f o u r . '

Y a k o v l e v t h e r e u p o n l e f t w i t h o u t a d d r e s s i n g t h e E m p r e s s .

*

K o b y l i n s k y r e m a i n e d i n c o m p l i a n c e w i t h a r e q u e s t f r o m t h e

e x - T s a r . A l e x a n d r a a n d T a t i s h c h e v a n d D o l g o r u k y s t o o d b y .

`Where do the y want t o take me ? ' a s k e d N i c h o l a s . ` To

Moscow,' was th e reply . ` Y a k o v l e v l e t i t s l i p o u t w h e n I

i n q u i r e d h o w l o n g h e w o u l d b e a w a y b e f o r e r e t u r n i n g t o f e t c h

t h e f a m i l y . ' T h e e x - T s a r n o d d e d , a s i f t h e n e w s c o n f i r m e d

hi s own knowledge . T u r n i n g t o h i s f o l l o w e r s h e d e c l a r e d

` Y o u s e e t h e y w a n t m e t o s i g n t h e T r e a t y o f B r e s t - L i t o v s k .

B u t I w o u l d r a t h e r c u t o f f m y h a n d t h a n d o s o . '

A l e x a n d r a , m u c h a g i t a t e d , i n t e r p o s e d : ` I a m a l s o g o i n g .

W i t h o u t m e t h e y w i l l p e r s u a d e h i m i n t o d o i n g s o m e t h i n g , a s

t h e y d i d o n c e b e f o r e . . . . ' A n d s h e f i r e d a v o l l ey o f a b u s e a t

R o d z i a n k o f or h i s p a r t i n t h e a b d i c a t i o n . B u t i n t he s t r e s s o f

t h e m o m e n t s h e h a d f o r g o t t e n h e r s i c k b o y . T h e h o u r s t h a t

f o l l o w e d w i l l e v e r b e r e c a l l e d by a l l w h o s u r v i v e a s t h e m o s t

p a i n f ul o f t h e i r m e m o r i e s . T h i s d i s t r a c t e d m o t h e r , t o o f e eb l e

t o s t a n d f o r m o r e t h a n f i v e m i n u t e s , p a c e d h e r r o o m l i k e a

c a g e d t i g r e s s . S h e s u m m o n e d h e r f a v o u r i t e d a u g h t e r T a t i a n a

a n d b u r s t i n t o a s t o r m o f w e e p i n g . F o r t h e f i r s t t i m e h e r

a t t e n d a n t s s a w h e r l o s e a l l s e l f - c o nt r o l . I n b r o k e n s e n t e n c e s

s h e di s b u r d e ne d he r s e l f o f h er s o r r o w , r e v e a l i n g i n h e r d i s t r e s s

t h e i n n e r m o s t t h o u g h t s o f h e r m i n d : `The Ge rmans know

t h a t t h ei r t r e a t y i s v a l ue l es s w i t h o ut t h e T s a r ' s s i g n a t ur e . . . .

T h e y w a n t t o s e p a r a t e h i m f r o m h i s f a m i l y i n o r d er t o f r i g h t e n

h i m i n t o s o m e d i s g r a c e fu l a ct . . . . H e w i l l b e a f r a i d t o r e f us e

o n o u r a c c o u n t . . . . I t w i l l b e a r e p e t i t i o n o f P s k o v . . . . '



7 0 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSS h e w r e s t l e d w i t h h e r s e l f , p r a y i n g t h a t s h e m i g h t n ot h a v e t o

c h o o s e b e t w e e n h e r h u s b a n d a n d h er s o n , ho p i n g t h a t t h e r i v e r

might suddenly open and prevent any travelling . A t l a s t

s h e ca m e t o a de c i s i o n , a n d , j u m p i n g u p , c r i e d : ` I t i s e n ou g h,

I go wit h t he Emperor . ' N i c h o l a s e n t e r e d t h e r o o m . S h e

g r e e t e d ' h i m w i t h t h e w o r d s : ' I s h a l l n ot l e t y o u go a l o n e . '

' A s y ou w i l l, ' w a s h i s r e p ly .

V o l k o v , t h e E m p r e s s ' s c o n f i d e n t i a l m a n - s e r v a n t , d e p o s e s

t h a t h e s a w h e r i n t h e T s a r e v i t c h ' s r o o m , a n d a s s h e w a s g o i n g

out inquired what was th e matt er . A l e x a n d r a r e p l i e d

' Gosudar ( t h e T s a r ) i s t o b e t a k e n a w a y t o M o s c o w . The y

w a n t h i m t o c o n c l u d e p e a c e . But I am going wi th him . I

s h a l l n ev e r p e r m i t s u c h a t h i n g . W h a t w o u l d o u r A l l i e s s a y ? '

M a da m e B i t t n er s p o k e t o t he T s a r a t t h i s s a m e j u nc t ur e . She

s u g g e s t e d t h a t ' t h e y , ' m e a n i n g t h e G e r m a n s , w o u l d t a k e h i m

` o u t o f t h e c o u n t r y . ' H e r e p l i e d : ` G o d g r a n t t h a t i t b e n o t

s o.

O n l y n o t a b r o a d ! ' T h i s w i t n e s s d e p o s e s t h a t t h e w h o l e

f a m i l y d r e a d e d t h e i d ea o f b e i n g s e n t a b r o a d , i . e . , t o G e r m a n y .

I n t h i s c o n n e x i o n I r e c a l l a r e m a r k a b l e p a s s a g e i n o ne o f t h e

d e p o s i t i o n s . Some member of the household at Tobolsk was

r e a d i n g o u t o f a n e w s p a p e r t h e s t a t e m e n t t h a t t h e B r e s t -

L i t o v s k T r e a t y c o nt a i n e d ' a c l a u s e a s s u r i n g t h e s a f e t y o f t h e

I m p e r i a l f a m i l y . The Empress broke in with an angry ex-

clamation in French : ` I h a d r a t h e r d i e i n R u s s i a t h a n b e

saved by th e Ge rmans . ' (fe pref cre mourir en Russie que

d ' e t r e s a u v e e p o u r l e s a l l e m a n d s . )

I t w a s t h e n s e t t l e d t h a t t h e p a r t y w i t h t h e T s a r s h o u l d

i n c l u d e : A l e x a n d r a , t h e G r a n d D u c h e s s M a r i e , P r i n c e ' D o l -

g o r u k y , D r . B o t k i n , a n d t h e s e r v a n t s C h e m o d u r o v , D e m i d o v a ,

and Ivan Sednev . O n r e ce i v i n g t h e li s t , Y a k o v l e v s a i d : 'It

i s a l l t h e s a m e t o m e . ' T h e s o l di e r s w e r e a g a i n a s s e m b l e d o n

t h e e v e n i n g of t h e 2 5 t h t o b e i n f or m e d o f t h e T s a r ' s r e m o v a l .

T o f o r e s t a l l a n y o b j e c t i o n s , a n u m b e r o f t h e m w e r e s e l e c t e d

to accompany the party .

* * * *



MOSCOW AND BERLIN 7 =

T h e v e h i c l e s t h a t w e r e t o c on v e y t h e t r a v e l l e r s t o T i u m e n ,

w h e r e t h e y w o u l d f i n d a t r a i n , d i d n ot d i f f e r f r o m t h e o r d i n a r y

S i b e r i a n tarantass-a l a r g e b a s k e t s w u n g u p o n l o n g f l e x i b l e

p o l e s u n i t i n g t w o s p r i n g le s s a x l e s , t h e ba s k e t s b e i n g f i ll ed w i t h

s t r a w . I n t o t he s e v e h i c l e s t h e t r a v e l l er s t u m b l e d a n d d i s p o s e d

t h e m s e l v e s a s b e s t t h e y c o u l d . Alexandra had a t r o i k a , t h e

o t he r s a p a i r o f ho r s e s . S h e b e c k o n e d t o t h e T s a r t o m o u n t

w i t h h e r , b u t Y a k o v l e v s e n t M a r i e t o j o i n h e r m o t h e r , a n d

s h a r e d h i s t a r a n t a s s w i t h N i c h o l a s .

T h e r o a d s w e r e t e r r i b l e . N o t r a v e l l e r w h o h a s n o t e x p e r i -

e n c e d s p r i n g t i m e t r a v e l i n R u s s i a c a n h a v e a n y i d e a o f t h e m .

A t s o m e p l a c e s t h e p a r t y h a d t o a l i g h t a n d w a l k t h r o u g h d e e p

s l u s h . T h e E m p r e s s w a s b e t t e r o f f t ha n t h e o t h er s a s s h e h a d

a s t r o n g e r t e a m . Y a k o v l e v w a s h u r r y i n g a s f a s t a s h o r s e f l e s h

c o u l d g o . R e l a y s w a i t e d a t s t a t e d i n t e r v a l s . T h e t r a v e l le r s

p a s s e d f r o m o n e t a r a n t a s s i n t o a n o t h e r . I t w a s b e t t er t o l o s e

n o t i m e a s e v e r y d a y t h e r o a d s b e c a m e w o r s e , b u t t h e r e w a s

a n o t h e r r e a s o n : Yakovlev was evidently afraid of being

s t o p p e d b y t h e l o c a l S o v i e t s a n d w i s h e d t o r u s h p a s t b e f o r e

t h e y h a d h a d t i m e t o o p p o s e h i m .

Throughout th e trip he conversed with th e ex-Tsar on

p o l i t i c s , e n d e a v o ur i n g t o t a l k h i m o v e r t o a c e r t a i n p o i n t o f

vie w-but t he Tsar would not g ive way . This much t he

c o a c h m a n w h o d r o v e t h e m c o u l d s w e a r t o , a l t h o u g h h e c o u l d

n o t c a t c h a l l t h e d e t a i l s o f t h e co n v e r s a t i o n . H e n o t i c e d t h a t

N i c h o l a s d i d n o t ` s c o l d t h e B o l s h e v i k s , ' b u t s o m e b o d y e l s e .

T h e y r e a c h e d T i u m e n o n t h e 2 8 t h a t 9 p .m . A s p e c i a l t r a i n

w a s i n w a i t i n g . T h e y s t a r t e d w e s t w a r d , b u t h a d n o t t r a v e l l e d

f a r w h e n a t a w a y s i d e s t a t i o n Y a k o v l e v h e a r d t h a t E k a t e r i n -

burg would intercept him . Wh at he fe ared had happened .

T h e o n l y h o p e l a y i n c i r c u m v e n t i n g E k a t e r i n b u r g . F o r t h i s

p u r p o s e i t w a s n e c e s s a r y t o r e t u r n , g o e a s t a s f a r a s O m s k -

Kulomzino, and th ence switch on to the Ch eliabinsk-Ufa

r a i l w a y . B u t h e w a s t o o l a t e . T h e S o v i e t a t E k a t e r i n b u r g



7 2 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSh a d w i r e d t o O m s k t h a t t h e e x - T s a r w a s e s c a p i n g e a s t w a r d ,

a n d a c o r d o n o f R e d g u a r d s s t o p p e d t h e t r a i n a t K u l o m z i n o .

Y a k o v l e v d e t a c h e d t h e e n g i n e a n d w e n t a c r o s s t h e I r t y s h t o

O m s k , a n d t h e r e , w i t h t h e h e l p o f h i s p r i v a t e t e l e g r a p h i s t ,

spoke with Moscow . H e w a s o r d e r e d b y S v e r d l o v t o p r o c e e d

v i a E k a t e r i n b u r g . A s m i g h t b e e x p e c t e d , t h e y w e r e m e t b y

a s t r o n g f o r c e o f f a n a t i c i z e d R e d g u a r d s a t t h e s t a t i o n a t E k a t -

e r i n b u r g ( A p r i l 30) . Y a k o v l e v ' s a u t h o r i t y w a s f l o u t e d a n d

t h e es c o r t a n d g u a r d s t h a t w e r e w i t h h i m i m p r i s o n ed t i l l h e ha d

departed empty-handed on his way to Moscow . T h e u n f o r -

tunate Romanovs th us came into t he hands that we re to

m a s s a c r e t h e m a n d t h e i r b e l o n g i n g s .

* * * * *

Y a k o v l e v h a d n o h a nd i n t h i s f o ul c o n s p i r a c y . H e h a d b e e n

q u i t e s i n c e r e a n d co n s i s t e n t i n h i s e f f o r t s t o b r i n g t h e w h o l e

f a m i l y s a f e l y t o M o s c o w . T h e r e i s n o i n di c a t i o n w h a t e v e r , i n

a l l h e s a i d , t h a t t h e ob j e ct o f t h i s r e m o v a l w a s t o b r i n g t h e

T s a r t o t r i a l . O n t h e c o n t r a r y , t h e c o n v e r s a t i o n s w i t h t h e

T s a r , c o n t i n u e d i n t h e r a i l w a y c a r r i a g e , w h e r e , a g a i n , h e w a s

s e p a r a t e d f r o m A l e x a n d r a , g a v e a d d i t i o n a l c o l o ur t o t h e v e r -

s i o n a l r e a d y g i v e n b y N i c h o l a s h i m s e l f - t h a t i t w a s i n t e n d e d

t o r e s t o r e t h e m o n a r c h y u n d e r c e r t a i n c o nd i t i o n s . ' S p e a k i n g

o f Y a k o v l e v , t h e e x - T s a r a f t e r w a r d s s a i d : ' N o t a b a d s o r t

-evidently sincere . ' Alexandra did not cease to bewail

h e r m i s f o r t u n e s , w e e p i n g o v e r h e r s o n a n d h e r h u s b a n d .

On reaching Moscow, Yakovlev must have had some doubts

1 It must be borne in mind th at th e virtual ruler in Moscow was

Count Mirbach (see C hapter II), th e Bolshevist leaders being appointees

and vassals of Germany, though, perhaps even t he n, secretly conspiring

against t he ir maste rs . Furth er, it i s known that many influent ial

Russians were i ntrig uing wit h Mirbach (May, 1918) to re store th e

Monarchy. This movement collapsed because th e t wo 'orie ntations'-German and Ententc could not agree . The ' Germans' wantedAlexis ; th e ' Ententes' favoured Michael . The orig inal Act of Abdi-

cat i on was stolen from th e S e nat e House i n Pet rograd by German

agents i n the early summer of 1917 to remove t hi s trace of Alexis

being out of th e succession . Cf. a l s o f . n . to Ch . I .




a b o u t t h e s i n c e r i t y o f t h e T s i k . Anyhow, he resigned his

c o m m i s s a r y s h i p a n d e v e n t u a l l y j o i n e d t h e W h i t e f o r c e s , a n d

t h e n m y s t e r i o u s l y d i s a p p e a r e d . A n i n t e r v i e w w i t h h i m , p u b -

l i s h e d i n a R e d o r g a n a t t h e t i m e o f hi s j o u r n e y i n c ha r g e o f

t h e I m p e r i a l c a p t i v e s , c o nt a i n s s o m e v e r y i n s t r u c t i v e f e a t ur e s .

I t p a s s e s o v e r i n s i l e n ce t h e a t t e m p t t o e v a d e E k a t e r i n b ur g a n d

f a l s i f i e s t h e da t e s o f a r r i v a l a n d de p a r t u r e a t T i u m e n s o t h a t

t h e gl a r i n g d i s c r e p a n c y b et w e e n t h i s a n d t h e a r r i v a l a t E k a t e r -

i n b u r g ( t w o d a y s i n s t e a d o f h a lf a d a y ) s h o ul d n ot b e n o t i c e d ;

i g n o r es , i n f a c t , a l l t h e l oc a l S o v i e t i n t r i g u e s a n d p r o t e s t s , q u i t e

n e ed l e s s l y , t h a t h e di d n o t m e n t i o n p o l i t i c s i n h i s c o n v e r s a t i o n

w i t h N i c h o l a s . V a s i l y V a s i l i e v i c h Y a k o v l e v h a d b e e n a n a v a l

o f f i c e r a n d w a s t h e r e f o r e of R u s s i a n n o b l e bl o od . He had com-

m i t t e d s o m e p o l i t i c a l o f f e n c e , h a d s p e n t m a n y y e a r s a b r o a d - i n

B e r l i n . W h o w e r e h i s r e a l c h i e f s ? I t i s n o t d i f f i c u lt t o g u es s .

Two other Commissarie s went to Tobolsk to remove the

r e m a i n d e r o f t h e f a m i l y - T a t i a n a h a d b e e n l e f t i n c h a r g e o f

t h e i n v a l i d a n d h o u s e h o ld . O l g a , t h e e l de s t d a u g h t e r , d i d n o t

e n j o y h e r m o t h e r ' s c o n f i d e n c e i n t h e s a m e d e g r e e . S h e t o o k

f a r m o r e i n t er e s t i n l i t e r a t u r e t h a n i n t he p r a c t i c a l a f f a i r s o f

l i f e , a n d w o u l d h i d e h e r s e l f i n a c o r n e r w i t h a b o o k o r t e l l

s t o r i e s t o t h e s o l d i e r s , u t t e r l y f o r g e t t i n g d om e s t i c t r i f l e s .

A n a s t a s i a , s t i l l a c h i l d , a n d r a t h e r b a c k w a r d , c o u ld b e le f t i n

T a t i a n a ' s c a r e . M a r i e w e n t w i t h t h e I m p e r i a l c o u p l e b e c a u s e

s h e w a s t o o gr o w n - u p t o r e m a i n u n de r h e r s i s t e r ' s c a r e . She

w a s a v e r y a t t r a c t i v e g i r l , a n d i t u s e d t o b e r a t h e r a j o k e a m o n g

t h e g r a n d d u c h e s s e s t o t w i t h e r o n h e r ' c o n q u e s t s ' a m o n g

the Commissars .

The t wo successors of Yakovlev were : A sailor named

H o h r i a k o v a n d a c e r t a i n R o d i o n o v . T h e l a t t e r w a s a f t e r w a r d s

i d e n t i f i e d a s a f o r m e r g e n d a r m e o f f i c e r . He used to inspect

t h e p a s s p o r t s a t t h e G e r m a n f r o n t i e r , a n d s e r v e d s o m e t i m e i n

t h e R u s s i a n E m b a s s y a t B e r l i n a s a s p y o n R u s s i a n r e v o l u -

t i o n a r i e s . W h e n t a x e d w i t h i t , h e a d m i t t e d t h e i m p e a c h m e n t .



14 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVST h e s a i l o r , a t y p i c a l g o o d - n a t u r e d p e a s a n t , s o o n m a d e f r i e n d s

w i t h a l l t h e ch i l d r e n . R o d i o n o v , o n t h e c o n t r a r y , w e n t o u t

o f h i s w a y t o t o r m e n t a n d i l l - t r e a t t h e m . He forbade the

g r a n d d u ch e s s e s t o l o c k t h e i r d o o r s a t n i g h t , i n f o r m i n g t h e m

w i t h a l e e r t h a t h e h a d a p e r f e c t r i g h t t o c om e i n t o t h e i r r o o m s

w h e n e v e r h e l i k e d . W i t h e v e r y a p p e a r a n c e o f e n j o y m e n t , h e

a n n o u n c e d t h a t i n E k a t e r i n b u r g t h e y w o u l d h a v e t o o b s e r v e

s t r i c t e r r u l e s , w h i c h h e h i m s e l f h a d d e v i s e d . Hoh riakov was

n o m i n a l l y s e n i o r t o R o d i o no v , b u t t h e l a t t e r d i d w h a t h e p l e a s e d .

H e r e m u s t b e r e c o r d e d a c i r c u m s t a n c e w h i c h w a s d e s t i n e d

t o p l a y a n i m p o r t a n t p a r t i n t h e d e t e ct i o n o f t h e m u r d e r s o f

E k a t e r i n b u r g . Before separating, it had been understood

b e t w e e n m o t h e r a n d d a u g h t e r s t h a t t h e y w o u l d t a k e m e a s u r e s

f o r s a f e g u a r d i n g t h e j e w e l s t h a t h a d b e e n b r o u g h t w i t h t h e m

f r o m T s a r s k o e , w o r t h n o t l e s s t h a n a m i l l i o n g o l d r o u b l e s

( £ z o o , oo o ) . A l e t t e r f r o m t h e m a i d D e m i d o v a f r o m E k a t e r i n -

b u r g g a v e t h e n e c e s s a r y i n d i c a t i o n s . The grand duchesses

w e r e ' t o d i s p o s e o f t h e m e d i c i n e s a s h a d b e e n a g r e e d . ' T h i s

m e a n t t h a t t h e j e w e l s h a d t o b e s e c r e t e d i n t h e , c l o t h i n g i n

s u c h a w a y a s t o e s c a p e s e a r c h ( N i c h o l a s , A l e x a n d r a , a n d

Marie had been 'searched' very thoroughly and brutally) .

F o r s o m e d a y s t h e g r a n d d u c h e s s e s a n d t h e i r t r u s t y s e r v a n t s

w o r k e d a t t h e t a s k , s e w i n g u p t h e v a l u a bl e s i n t h e i r b o d i c es ,

i n t h e i r h a t s , a n d e v e n i n s i d e t h e i r b u t t o n s . The Empress

h a d f e w i f a n y v a l u a b l e s w i t h h e r - p o s s i b l y b e c a u s e t h e r e h a d

b e e n n o t i m e t o s e c r e t e t h e m ; b u t t h a n k s t o t h e p r e c a u t i o n s

n o w t a k e n , t h e g r a n d d u c h e s s e s m a n a g e d t o s m u g g l e a l l t h a t

w a s o f g r e a t e s t v a l u e i n t o t h ei r l a s t p r i s o n - ho u s e . Womanlike,

t h e y c l u n g t o t h e s e r e l i c s o f f o r m e r h a p p i n e s s , a n d p e r h a p s

d e e p d o w n i n t h e i r h e a r t s s l u m b e r e d s o m e h o p e t h a t t h e g e m s

might help them to escape .

L e a v i n g T o b ol s k b y s t e a m e r o n M a y 2 0 , t he f a m i l y a n d ho u s e -

h o l d r e a c h e d E k a t e r i n b u r g o n t h e 2 2 n d w i t h o u t i n c i d e n t .



CHAPTER Viii

VIA CRUCIS

NTHING had been done at Ekaterinburg to prepare for

t h e a r r i v a l o f s u c h p r i s o n e r s a s t h e e x - T s a r a n d h i s

f a m i l y t i l l A p r i l 2 7 ( i . e . , t w o d a y s a f t e r t h e s p y Z a s l a v s k y h a d

denounced Yakovlev) . The arrangements then taken con-

s i s t e d i n r e q u i s i t i o n i n g I p a t i e v ' s h o u s e a n d p u t t i n g a r o u g h

h o a r d i n g a r o u n d i t . Z a s l a v s k y r e a c h e d E k a t e r i n b u r g i n c o m -

pany wit h a Russian workman named Alexander Avdeiev,

who had been with him at Tobolsk and become imbued with

t h e J e w ' s t a l e o f Y a k o v le v ' s a l l eg e d t r e a c h er y . I n r e t u r n f o r

h i s s u p p o r t a n d b l i n d s u b s e r v i e n c y , t h i s m a n r e c e i v e d t h e

p o s t o f c o m m a n d a n t o f t h e n e w i m p e r i a l p r i s o n a n d p r o m i s e s

o f f u r t h e r p r o m o t i o n .

I s a i G o l o s h c h e k i n , t h e i n t i m a t e f r i e n d o f Y a n k e l S v e r d l o v ,

t o o k ch a r g e of t h e p r i s o n er s o n t he i r a r r i v a l . I s a i p l a y e d t h e

p a r t o f a B o ls h e v i s t P o oh - b a , b e i ng a K o m i s a r m a n y t i m e s o v e r ,

b u t a b o v e a l l h e l o o m e d l a r g e l y i n t h e l o c a l c h r e z v y c h a i k a . H e

s u p e r v i s e d t h e r e m o v a l o f t h e p r i s o n e r s f r o m t h e i r r a i l w a y

c a r r i a g e , c o m p l e t e l y i g n o r i n g A v d e i e v , a n d t o o k t h e m a w a y

i n h i s m o t o r - c a r . O n r e a c h i n g t h e I p a t i e v h o u s e , G o l o s h c h e -

k i n t o l d t h e i m p e r i a l t r i o t o d e s c e n d , t h e n p o i n t i n g t o t h e

d o or , s a i d : `C it izen Romanov, you may enter . ' In th e

same manner, he let the ex-Empress and Marie pass th e

t h r e s h o l d . . . .

P r i n c e D o l g o r u k y , w h o w a s o f t h e p a r t y , d i d n o t m e e t w i t h

G o l o s h c h e k i n ' s a p p r o v a l . ' Y o u g o t o a n o t h e r p r i s o n , ' s a i d

75



7 6 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSh e , a n d s t r a i g h t w a y D o l g o r u k y w a s r e m o v e d , n e v e r t o b e s e e n

a g a i n .

W h e n , t h r e e w e e k s l a t e r , t h e o t h e r c h i l d r e n a n d r e m a i n d e r

o f t h e h o u s e h o l d a r r i v e d , t h e s a m e p r o c e d u r e w a s a d o p t e d .

O n c e m o r e A v d e i e v w a s i g n o r e d , t h e p e r s o n i n c h a r g e b e i n g

Rodionov . H i s b r u t a l i t i e s a t T o b o l s k h a d e a r n e d h i m d i s -

t i n c t i o n . H e r e h e e x c e l l e d h i m s e l f . I t w a s r a i n i n g h e a v i l y

a n d t h e p l a t f o r m s w e r e s l i m y w i t h m u d . H e w o u l d n o t p e r -

m i t a n y o n e t o h e l p t h e G r a n d D u c h e s s e s t o c a r r y t h e i r o w n

l u g g a g e . N a g o r n y , o ne o f t h e i m p e r i a l s e r v a n t s , w a s k n o c k e d

o v e r f o r d a r i n g t o e x t e n d a h a n d t o A n a s t a s i a , d r a g g i n g a

heavy bag .

Nobody had permission to share the new prison with the

Romanovs except the physically weak or mentally undeve-

l o p e d . The only exception was Dr . B o t k i n . Those who did

n o t e n t e r t h e h o u s e w e n t t o o t h e r p r i s o n s , t h e t w o f o r e i g n e r s

e x c e p t e d .

* * * * *

T h e f a m i l y , o n c e m o r e r e u n i t e d , h a d n e e d o f a l l t h e i r l o v e

a n d f a i t h t o e n du r e t h e s u f f er i n g s t h a t m a r k e d t h i s l a s t s t a g e

o f t he i r e a r t h l y p i l g r i m a g e . B e s i d e s t h e m a n d t h e i r p h y s i c i a n

o n ly f o ur s e r v a n t s w e r e p e r m i t t e d t o r e m a i n - t h e c h a m b e r - m a i d

De midova, th e footman Trupp, t h e c h e f H a r i t o n o v , a n d t h e

b o y L e o ni d S e d n e v , a t t e n d a n t a n d p l a y m a t e o f t h e s i c k A l e x i s .

C h e m o d u r o v , t h e T s a r ' s v a l e t , w a s t r a n s f e r r e d t o t h e t o w n

p r i s o n f r o m t h e I p a t i e v h o u s e t h r e e w e e k s a f t e r h i s a r r i v a l .

H e s u r v i v e d , b u t h i s m i n d w a s a f f e c t e d .

T h i s b u i l di n g s t a n d s a t t h e c o r n e r o f V o s n e s e n s k y P r o s p e k t

a n d V o s n e s e n s k y P e r e u l o k ( l a n e ) f a ci n g a l a r g e s q u a r e i n w h i c h

s t a n d s t h e c h u r c h of t h e A s c e n s i o n ( V o s n e s e n i a ) , a p r o m i n e n t

l a n d m a r k i n t h e c i t y a n d s u b u r b s . I t i s a t w o - s t o r e y s t o n e

b u i l d i n g w i t h a g a r d e n a n d o u t h o u s e s b e h i n d , t o w h i c h a c c e s s

i s o b t a i n e d t h r o u g h a g a t e w a y i n t o t h e s q u a r e . A s t h e l a n e

d e s c e nd s s t e e p l y f r o m t h e s q u a r e , t h e l o w e r s t o r e y i s a s e m i -



V I A C RUC I S

b a s e m e n t i n f r o n t , g r a d u a l l y cl e a r i n g t h e s u r f a c e o f t h e s t r e e t

o n t h e l a n e s i d e . T h e l o w e r f l o o r w a s o c c up i e d b y t h e g u a r d ;

t h e p r i s o n e r s l i v e d u p s t a i r s i n t h e co r n er r o o m s a w a y f r o m t h e

s t a i r s a n d e n t r a n c e , w h i c h w e r e o n t h e g a t e s i d e . N i c h o la s ,

Alexandra and Alexis shared one room facing the square ;

t h e a d j o i n i n g c h a m b e r , o v e r l o o k i n g t h e l a n e , w a s o c c u p i e d

by the Grand Duchesses . T h e f a m i l y c o u l d n o t l e a v e t h e s e

t w o r o o m s e x c e p t f o r m e a l s , w h i c h w e r e t a k e n i n t he a d j o i n i n g

d i n i n g - r o o m . A n o t h e r r o o m , d i v i d e d i n t o t w o h a l v e s b y a n

arch, accommodated Dr . B o t k i n a n d C h e m o d u r o v o n o n e s i d e

and the servants on the other . From th e dining-room a

d o o r l e d t o a t e r r a c e o v e r l o o k i n g t h e g a r d e n .

Around the house, a wooden hoarding reached up to t he

w i n d o w s o f t h e u p p e r f l o o r . S o o n a ft e r t h e p r i s o ne r s a r r i v e d ,

a n o t h e r h o a r d i n g w a s p u t u p , c o m p l e t e l y s c r e e n i n g t h e w h o l e

h o u s e u p t o t h e e a v e s , a n d e n c l o s i n g a l s o t h e f r o n t e nt r a n c e

and gateway . T h e r e w e r e d o u b l e w i n d o w s , a s u s u a l i n R us s i a n

h o u s e s . B o t h p a n e s w e r e c o v e r e d w i t h w h i t e w a s h , r e n d e r i n g

i t u t t e r l y i m p o s s i b l e fo r t h e p r i s o n er s t o s e e a n yt h i n g o u t s i d e

- e v e n a c r o w f l y i n g .

* * *

S e n t r i e s p a c e d b e t w e e n t h e h o a r d i n g s , i n s i d e t h e g a r d e n ,

a n d w e r e s t a t i o n e d a t t h e s t a i r s , b e s i d e t h e l a v a t o r y a n d o n

t h e t e r r a c e . H e r e , a n d a t o t h e r c o n v e n i e n t p o i n t s , m a c h i n e -

g u n s w e r e p o s t e d . T h e p r i s o n e r s w e r e i n a t r a p f r o m w h i c h

t h e r e w a s n o e s c a p e . T h e a w f u l t h i n g a b o u t i t w a s t h e c o n -

s t a n t s u r v e i l l a n c e , b y d a y a n d ni g h t . T h e r e w a s n o p r i v a c y ,

n o t e v e n f o r t h e g i r l s - n o c o ns i d e r a t i o n f o r d e c e nc y o r m o d es t y .

The Ekaterinburg period was one long martyrdom for the

Romanovs, growing worse-wit h one short interval-as th e

h o u r o f t h e i r d e a t h a p p r o a c h e d . T h ei r g u a r d s , a t f i r s t , w e r e

R u s s i a n s , w h o , b r u t a l a s t h e y w e r e , n ev e r a t t a i n e d t h e f i e nd i s h

i n g e n u i t y i n t o r m e n t i n g t h e i r h e l p l e s s c a p t i v e s t h a t c a m e t o

7 7



7 8 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSb e d i s p l a y e d b y t h e a l i e n gu a r d s a n d e x e c ut i o n e r s o f t h e f i n a l

we ek .

T h e r e h a d b e e n n o p r o v i s i o n f o r g u a r d i n g t h e h o u s e - a n o t h e r

p r o o f t h a t t h e p r i s o n e r s h a d n o t b e en i n t e n d ed f o r E k a t e r i n -

burg . A f t e r t h e fi r s t f e w d a y s , a r e g u l a r gu a r d w a s o r g a n i z e d

from workmen employed at the local mills and iron works .

A l e x a n d e r A v d e i e v r e c e i v e d t h e s t y l e o f ` Commandant of

th e S pecial Purpose H ouse'- such was th e name of th e

i m p e r i a l p r i s o n . H i s a s s i s t a n t s w e r e A l e x a n d e r M o s h k i n a n d

Pavel Medvedev, both workmen and Russians . Avdei ev and

h i s p a r t i c u l a r f r i e n d s a m o n g t h e gu a r d s l i v e d u p s t a i r s i n t h e

ante -room and another chamber facing the square . The y

w e r e , c o n s e q u e n t l y , i n i m m e d i a t e p r o x i m i t y t o t h e p r i s o n e r s .

N o p e n c a n d e s c r i b e w h a t t h i s m e a n t .

T h e m e n w e r e c o a r s e , d r u n k e n , c r i m i n a l t y p e s , s u c h a s a

r e v o l u t i o n br i n g s t o t h e s u r f a c e . T h e y e n t e r e d t h e p r i s o n e r s '

r o o m s w h e n e v e r t h e y t h o u g h t f i t , a t a l l h o u r s , p r y i n g w i t h

d r u n k e n , l ee r i n g e y e s i n t o e v e r y t h i n g t h a t t h e y m i g h t b e d o i n g .

T h e i r m e r e p r e s e n c e w a s a n o f f e n ce ; b u t p i c t u r e t h e t o r m e n t s

o f t h e ca p t i v e s t o h a v e t o p u t u p w i t h t h e i r l oa t h s o m e f a m i l i a r i -

t i e s ! T h e y w o u l d s i t d o w n a t t h e t a b l e w h e n t h e p r i s o n e r s

a t e , p u t t h e i r d i r t y h a n d s i n t o t h e p l a t e s , s p i t , j o s t l e a n d

r e a c h i n f r o n t o f t h e p r i s o n e r s . T h e i r g r e a s y e l b o w s w o u l d

b e t h r u s t , b y a cc i d e n t or d e s i g n , i n t o t h e e x - T s a r ' s f a c e . A l e x -

a n d r a w a s , o f c o u r s e , a s p e c i a l o b j e c t o f a t t e n t i o n . The y

w o u l d c r o w d r o u n d h e r c h a i r , l o l l i n g i n s u c h a m a n n e r t h a t

a n y m o v e m e n t o n h e r p a r t b r o u g h t h e r i n c o n t a c t w i t h t h e i r

e v i l - s m e l l i n g b o d i e s .

* * * *

P r i s o n f a r e o f t h e p o o r e s t k i n d w a s p r o v i d e d . B r e a k f a s t

c o m p r i s e d s t a l e b l a c k b r e a d f r o m t h e d a y b e f o r e , w i t h t e a -

n o s u g a r . F o r d i n n e r t h e y h a d t h i n s o u p a n d m e a t , t h e l a t t e r

o f d o u b t f u l q u a l i t y . T h e e x - E m p r e s s c o u ld e a t n o t h i n g ex c e p t

m a c a r o n i .



V I A C RUC I S

T h e t a b l e - c o v e r w a s a g r e a s y o i l c l o t h . There we re not

k n i v e s o r f o r k s o r e v e n p l a t e s e n o u g h t o g o r o u n d . A l l a t e

wi th wooden spoons out of one common dish . By th e

E m p e r o r ' s w i s h t h e s e r v a n t s s a t a t t a b l e w i t h t h e f a m i l y .

T h e g u a r d s s a n g r e v o l u t i o n a r y s o n g s d e v i s e d t o h u r t a n d

s h o c k t h e f ee l i n g s o f ,t h e p r i s o n e r s , c o n t a i n i n g f ou l w o r d s s u c h

a s n o m a n s h o u l d d a r e t o u t t e r i n t h e p r e s e n c e o f i n n o c e n t

g i r l s ; b u t t h e r e v o l u t i o n a r y w a r r i o r s d e li g h t e d i n w o u n d i n g t he

m o d es t y o f t h e G r a n d Du c he s s e s i n t h i s a n d i n o t h e r s t i l l m o r e

r e p u l s i v e w a y s , b y f i l t hy s c r i b b l i n g a n d d r a w i n g s o n t he w a l l s

a n d b y c r o w d i n g r o u n d t h e l a v a t o r y - t h e r e w a s o n l y o n e f o r

t h e p r i s o n er s a n d t h e w a r d e r s . T h e y w e n t r e e l i n g a b o u t t h e

h o u s e , s m o k i n g c i g a r e t t e s , u n k e m p t , d i s h e v e l l e d , s h a m e l e s s ,

i n s p i r i n g t e r r o r a n d l o a t hi n g . T h e y d i d n o t s c r u p l e t o h e l p

t h e m s e l v e s l i b e r a l l y t o t h e c l o t h e s a n d o t h e r p r o p e r t y o f t h e

p r i s o n e r s w h e n e v e r a n y t h i n g c a m e w i t h i n t h e i r r e a c h .

O n l y a q u a r t e r o f a n h o u r w a s a l l o w e d t o t h e p r i s o n e r s i n

t h e o p e n a i r . N o p h y s i c a l w o r k w a s p e r m i t t e d . T h e e x - T s a r

f e l t t h i s p r i v a t i o n v e r y m u c h . A l e x a n d r a s u f f e r e d t e r r i b l y .

H e r s o n r e m a i n e d a n i n v a l i d , u n a b l e t o w a l k . The family

s e e m e d t o b e o v e r w h e l m e d b y g r i e f . B u t t h e i r f a i t h i n G o d

a n d t h e i r l o v e f o r e a c h o t h e r i l l u m i n a t e d t h e g l o o m o f t h i s

a w f u l p r i s o n . A b o v e t h e r i b a l d s o n g s o f t h e i r t o r m e n t o r s

m i g h t b e h e a r d t h e c h a n t i n g o f t h e S o n g o f C h e r u b i m , t h e

R u s s i a n h y m n o f p r a i s e .

N o w w e c o m e t o t h e f i n a l p h a s e t h a t p r e c e d e d t h e m u r d e r .

I t i s f u l l o f s i g n i f i c a n c e . Every step taken by th e occult

p o w e r s o f t h e E k a t e r i n b u r g c h r e z v y c h a i k a , w h i c h , i t m u s t b e

remembered, did nothing without orders from the central

i n s t i t u t i o n s i n M o s c o w - S v e r d l o v b e i n g i n d i r e c t c o m m u n i c a -

t i o n w i t h G o lo s h c h ek i n - f a l l s i n t o i t s n a t u r a l a p p o i n t e d p l a c e

a s p a r t o f t h e c r u e l f a t e r e s e r v e d f o r t h e R o m a n o v f a m i l y .

7 9



S o THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVST h e m o n s t e r s w h o h a d b e en p l a c e d i n ch a r g e o f t h e p r i s o n e r s

-as if on purpose to torment them through th e agency of

R u s s i a n s - d i d n o t f u lf i l t h ei r m i s s i o n t o t he e nd . Even they

b e c a m e h u m a n i z e d b y t h e s p e c t a c l e o f t h e s u f f e r i n g s a n d t h e

p a t i e n c e a n d h u m i l i t y o f t h e i r f o r m e r s o v e r e i g n s - n o t a l l o f

t h e m , o f c o u r s e , b u t c e r t a i n l y a m a j o r i t y , i n c l u d i n g t h e i r

commandant, Avdeiev .

O n e o f t h e s e m e n a f t e r w a r d s r e l a t e d h o w t h e c h a n g e c a m e

o v e r h i m . H e h a d be g u n w i t h h a t r e d i n , hi s h e a r t . The Tsar

w a s t h e he a d of t h e c a p i t a l i s t i c s y s t e m , t h e gr e a t e s t c a p i t a l i s t

o f t h e m a l l . T o d e s t r o y h i m w a s t o d e s t r o y c a p i t a l i s m i t s e l f -

t h e S o c i a l - D e m o c r a t i c p r o g r a m m e h a d m a d e i t a l l s o p l a i n

to him . He watched the crowned enemy of mankind, the

` d r i n k e r o f t h e p e o p l e ' s b l o od , ' a s h e w a l k e d a b o ut t h e g a r d e n,

a n d l i s t e n e d t o h i m e x c h a n g i n g s i m p l e , h o m e l y w o r d s w i t h

t h e o t h e r w a r d e r s . His notions began to waver . This was

not a bad man : h e w a s s o h u m a n , s o k i n d l y , j u s t a m a n l i k e

o t h e r m e n , a n d e v e n b e t t e r . T h e n t h e i d e a o c c u r r e d t o h i m

t h a t i t w a s w r o n g t o d e s i r e h i s d e a t h . Wh at harm could he

d o ? W h y n o t l e t h i m e s c a p e ! Y e s , i t w o u l d b e m u c h b e t t e r

i f h e w e n t a w a y , a n d t h e c h i l d r e n , t o o ; th ey had done no

h a r m , a n d t h e T s a r i t s a a l s o . Sh e was proud . Not simple

a n d h o m e l y , l i k e t h e T s a r ; b u t l e t h e r a l s o g o . I f s h e h a d

d o n e h a r m , s h e h a d a l s o s u f f e r e d .

T h i s m a n r e p e n t e d of t h e e v i l h e a n d h i s f e ll o w s w e r e d o i n g .

H e w o u l d s i n g n o m o r e l e w d s o n g s , a n d t r i e d t o d i s s u a d e t h e

o t h e r s . Rapidly the whole of the guard-workmen from the

L o k a l o v a n d S y s s e r t c o m p a n i e s ' p l a n t s - w e r e b e c o m i n g d i s -

a f f e c t e d .

T o w a r d s t h e e n d o f J u n e a s e c r e t e m i s s a r y o f o n e o f t h e

M o n a r c h i s t o r g a n i z a t i o n s c a l l e d up o n t h e B i s h o p o f E k a t e r i n -

b u r g a n d t r i e d t o g e t i n t o c o m m u n i c a t i o n w i t h t h e I m p e r i a l

p r i s o n e r s t h r o u g h t h e c l e r g y ; but th is proved to be im-



V I A C RUC I S 8 1

p o s s i b le . H e t h e n p r o p o s e d t h a t , a t a l l e v e n t s , s o m e f o o d a n d

c o m f o r t s s h o u l d b e s e n t t o t h e p r i s o n - h o u s e . Dr . D e r e v e n k o ,

w h o h a d b e en p e r m i t t e d t o r e m a i n i n t h e c i t y , ga v e h i s a s s i s t -

a n c e a t t h i s j u n ct u r e . By some means he was in touch wit h

t h e w a r d e r s . A v d e i e v a g r e e d t o t a k e i n m i l k a n d o t h e r p r o -

v i s i o n s i f t h e y r e a c h e d t h e h o u s e w i t h o u t a t t r a c t i n g n o t i c e .

T h e n un s o f t h e m o n a s t e r y t h e r e u p o n s e n t t w o n o v i c e s , d r e s s e d

i n l a y g a r m e n t s , t o t h e h o u s e , w i t h a l l m a n n e r o f d a i r y p r o -

duce . A v d e i e v r e c e i v e d t h e m h i m s e l f . T h e s e j o u r n e y s b e c a m e

f r e q u e n t . The poor captives f elt comforted, morally and

p h y s i c a l ly . They had not been forgotten, and the men who

h a d b e e n s o t e r r i b l e w e r e s o m u c h k i n d e r . Hope once more

blossomed . The Grand Duchesses looked bright and cheer-

f u l , ' a s i f r e a d y t o s m i l e , ' s a y s a p e r s o n w h o s a w t h e m a t

t h i s t i m e . The nuns, emboldened by Avdeiev's atti tude,

b r o u g h t e v e n s o m e t o b a c c o f o r t h e e x - T s a r . A v d e i e v r e f e r r e d

to h im as ` th e Emperor . '

* * * *

I n t h e b e g i n n i n g o f J u l y s o m e s u s p i c i o n s m u s t h a v e a r i s e n

a m o n g t h e J e w i s h c a m a r i l l a , o r p e r h a p s M o s c o w h a d r e c e i v e d

` i n f o r m a t i o n . ' A s t h e t i m e w a s g e t t i n g r i p e f o r ` a c t i o n , '

n o d o u b t s t e p s h a d b e e n t a k e n t o v e r i f y t h e a r r a n g e m e n t s ,

a n d t h e d i s c o v e r y o f d i s a f f e c t i o n a m o n g t h e R u s s i a n g u a r d s

f o l l o w e d . A v d e i e v w a s a t o n c e d i s m i s s e d , t h e R u s s i a n g u a r d s

m o v e d o u t o f t h e h o u s e i n t o p r e m i s e s o n t h e o p p o s i t e s i d e o f

t h e l a n e , a n d, w i t h o n e e x c ep t i o n , f o r b i d d e n t o c om e i n t o t h e

house . This exception was Pavel Medvedev . He retained

h i s p o s t a s c h i e f w a r d e r . The Russian guard continued to

p r o v i d e s e n t r i e s f o r t h e o u t s i d e p o s t s o n ly . They could do

n o h a r m t h e r e , a n d s e r v e d t o t h r o w d u s t i n t h e e y e s o f t h e

p u b l i c .

A l l t h e s e c h a n g e s w e r e c a r r i e d o u t b y t h e n e w c o m m a n d a n t ,

a p e r s o n w i t h w h o m t h e r e a d e r i s a l r e a d y a cq u a i n t e d , n a m e l y,

Y a n k e l Y u r o v s k y , t h e s o n o f a J e w c o n v i c t , h i m s e l f a m y s t e r y

F



8 2 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSman, having obtained money in Germany for unexplained

` s e r v i c e s , ' a n d p r e s e n t l y on e o f t h e ch i e f s o f t h e l o c a l c h r e z v y -

c h a i k a . Yankel brough t wit h him a squad of ten ` L e t t s '

-as th e Russians called th em-to mount guard inside th e

prison-house and take charge of th e machine-gun posts .

These men were t he hired assassins of th e red o k h r a n a .

They we re not Let ts but Magyars, some of th em really

Magyarized Germans . It must be remembered that Siberia

w a s S o v i e t i z e d f r o m t h e e a s t , n o t b y R u s s i a n s i n t h e f i r s t

p l a c e , b u t b y t h e s o l d i e r s o f W i l h el m a n d h i s A u s t r i a n h e nc h -

m e n , w h o a c t e d u n d e r t h e o r d e r s f r o m t h e t w o K a i s e r s . These

s o - c a l l e d L e t t s h a d e n t e r e d t h e s e r v i c e o f t h e c h r e z v y c h a i k a

a f t e r h e l p i n g t o c a r r y o u t t h e G e r m a n d e s i g n t o u n d e r m i n e

R u s s i a .

I n n u m e r a b l e e v i d e n c e s p r o v e t h a t t h e n e w - c o m e r s a r e c o r -

r e c t ly c l a s s i f i e d . The Russian guards could tell by their

s p e e c h t h a t t h e y w e r e f o r e i g n er s . T o d e s i g n a t e t h e m a s L e t t s

was quit e natural because the Letts formed the backbone

a n d b u l k o f t h e f o r e i g n m e r c e n a r i e s o f S o v i e t d o m a n d t h e r e -

f ore any non-Russian Red-guard became a ` L e t t . ' B u t ,

a s a m a t t e r o f f a c t , t h e M a g y a r s r e s e m b l e L e t t s i n t h e i r a p -

p e a r a n c e a n d a c c e n t . Y u r o v s k y s p o k e t o t h e m i n a f o r e i g n

l a n g u a g e . B e s i d e s R u s s i a n a n d Y i d d i s h h e k n e w o n l y G e r m a n .

A m o n g t h e p a p e r s f o u n d a f t e r w a r d s i n t h e p r i s o n - h o u s e a s

a n u n f i n i s h e d l e t t e r t o h i s ` T e r e s c h e n ' from one of th e

` L e t t s . ' I t w a s i n M a g y a r , b u t , a c c o r d i n g t o t h e f i n d i n g s

of experts, the writer was evidently a German . He used

c a p i t a l l e t t e r s f o r s u b s t a n t i v e s , o f t e n e m p l o ye d G ot h i c c h a r -

acters and made glaring blunders in grammar, such as no

Magyar would make .

A n o t h e r o f t h e ' L e t t s ' l e f t a s t i l l m o r e e l oq u e n t e v i d e n c e

o f h i s n a t i o n a l i t y . Thi s man had stood on guard on th e

t e r r a c e c o m m u n i c a t i n g w i t h t h e d i n i n g - r o o m a n d o v e r l o o k i n g

th e garden-a very important post wi th a machi ne- gun



V I A C RUC I S 8 3

c a p a b l e o f s w e e p i n g t h e i n t e r i o r o f t h e h o u s e a n d a l l t h e

a p p r o a c h e s f r o m t h e g a r d e n s i d e . On th e very day before

t h e m u r d e r , t h i s m a n w r o t e i n p e n c i l o n t h e w a l l o f t h e h ou s e

a r e c o r d o f hi s s e r v i c e a s f o l l ow s : -

Ve rhds AndrAs

O r s e g e n 1918 VII/i5

A l o n g s i d e t h i s i n s c r i p t i o n h e h a d t r i e d t o w r i t e t h e R u s s i a n

e q u i v a l e n t , b u t c o u l d n o t s p e l l o ut t h e w o r d ` k a r a u l ' ( g u a r d

d u t y ) , i n M a g y a r o r s e g e n . S c r a p s o f p a p e r o n w h i c h o t h e r

` L e t t s ' h a d p r a c t i s e d w r i t i n g Ru s s i a n w o r d s w e r e a l s o f o u nd .

W e a r e a b l e t o f i x t h e d a t e a p p r o x i m a t e l y w h e n t h e G e r m a n -

M a g y a r g u a r d a n d Y u r o v s k y t o o k p o s s e s s i o n . T h e la y s i s t e r s

b r i n g i n g t he i r u s u a l o f f e r i n g s m e t w i t h a s t r a n g e r e ce p t i o n o n

o r a b o u t J u l y 1 o - a b o u t a w e e k b e f o r e t h e m u r d e r . Avdeiev

d i d n o t c o m e o u t t o t h e m . S o m e o f t h e R u s s i a n g u a r d s , w h o m

t h e y k n e w , w e r e s t a n d i n g n e a r t h e d o o r , l o o k i n g v e r y m u c h

c o nf u s e d , a n d a t f i r s t n o t d i s p o s e d t o t a k e ch a r g e o f t h e g i f t s .

F i n a l ly , h o w e v e r , t h e y d i d s o . T h e s i s t e r s t h e n w a l k e d a w a y .

Presently the soldiers came running after them . ' P l e a s e ,

w i l l y o u c o m e b a c k , ' t h e y s a i d . The nuns returned . A n

individual whom they afterwards identified as Yurovsky,

i n q u i r e d b y w h o s e a u t h o r i t y t h e y h a d b r o u g h t t h e p r o v i s i o n s .

` Avdeiev and De revenko,' was the truth ful reply . ` O h ,

t h e y a r e b o t h i n i t , a r e t h e y , ' h e r e m a r k e d o m i n o u s l y . H e

n e v e r t h e l e s s p e r m i t t e d t h e m t o c o m e a g a i n , ` b u t w i t h m i l k

o n l y . '

T h i s l a s t w e e k of t h ei r l i v e s m u s t h a v e b e en t h e m o s t d r e a d f ul

o n e o f a l l f o r t h e R o m a n o v s . B r u t a l a n d b e s t i a l a s t h e Ru s s i a n s

h a d b ee n i n t h e ea r l y p a r t o f t h e i r w a r d e n s h i p , t h e y w e r e p r e -

f e r a b l e, e v e n a t t h e i r w o r s t , t o t h e s i l e nt r e l e n t le s s t o r t u r e

a p p l i e d b y Y u r o v s k y , w h o a l s o w a s a d r u n k a r d . H e a n d h i s

b a n d w a t c h ed t h e m l i t e r a l l y l i k e a c a t w a t c h e s a m o u s e . H e

w a s p o l i t e t o t h e T s a r a n d s p o k e . ' - s o f t l y t o A l e x i s ; he even



8 4 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSp e r m i t t e d a p r i e s t t o c o m e a n d s a y p r a y e r s , w h i c h c o m f o r t e d

A l e x a n d r a a n d t h e p o o r c a p t i v e s u n s p e a k a b l y ; y e t t h e r e i s

e v i d e n c e t h a t n e v e r h a d t h e y l o o k e d s o u t t e r l y , h o p e l e s s l y

w r e t c h ed a s u n de r t h e t u t e l a g e o f t h e J e w . T h i s m a n ' s b r o t h er s

a n d s i s t e r s d e s c r i b e h i m a s a ` c r u e l t y r a n t w h o w o u l d n o t

h e s i t a t e a t a n y t h i n g t o a t t a i n h i s e n d s . '

* *

T h e m a n a n d h i s e x e c u t i o n e r s o n l y w a i t e d f o r t h e s i g n a l

that was to come from Yankel Sverdlov . Everything was

ready for the murder . The victims had been adequate ly

t o r t u r e d . G o l o s h c h e k i n , t h e J e w S a d i s t , l i c k e d h i s l i p s i n

p l e a s u r a b l e a n t i c i p a t i o n .



CHAPTER IXCALVARY

j

YNKEL YUROVSKY lef t th e prison-house on several

o c ca s i o n s . E a c h a b s e n c e l a s t e d m a n y h o u r s . He was

s u r v e y i n g t h e e n v i r o n s o f t h e c i t y f o r a c o n v e n i e n t p l a c e t o

d i s p o s e o f t he b o di e s o f h i s v i c t i m s . H i s e s c o r t c o n s i s t e d o f

o n e o r t w o o f t h e ` L e t t s ' mounted on horseback . S e v e r a l

w i t n e s s e s d e p o s e d t o m e e t i n g h i m a n d h i s b o d y g u a r d i n t h e

w o o d s d u r i n g t h e w e e k t h a t p r e c e d e d t h e m u r d e r . They were

s e e n n e a r t h e v e r y s p o t w h e r e t h e r e m a i n s w e r e a f t e r w a r d s

d e s t r o y e d .

Wh enever he had to absent h imself, Yurovsky placed

Medvedev in charge . B e s i d e s t h e l a t t e r , t h e r e w a s a n o t h e r

n on - ' L e t t ' i n t h e h o u s e , a c e r t a i n N i k u l i n , r e s p e c t i n g w h o m

i t i s k n o w n t h a t h e ca m e w i t h Y u r o v s k y f r o m t h e chrezvychaik a .

H e e n j o y e d Y u r o v s k y ' s e n t i r e c o n f i d e n c e , a n d w a s p r o b a b l y

t h e r e t o k e e p a n e y e o n M e d v e d e v .

O n M o n d a y , J u l y 1 5 , t h e l a y s i s t e r s c a m e a s u s u a l i n t h e

m o r n i n g w i t h m i l k f o r t h e I m p e r i a l F a m i l y . Y a n k e l t o o k i t

himself, and graciously informed them that on the morrow

t h e y m i g h t b r i n g h a l f a h u n d r e d e g g s . T h i s t h e y d i d g l a d l y ,

t h i n k i n g t h a t t h e p o o r c a p t i v e s w o u l d e n j o y a h e a r t y m e a l ,

a l l u n s u s p i c i o u s o f t h e c y n i c a l i n t e n t i o n t h a t h a d p r o m p t e d

Y u r o v s k y ' s g e n e r o s i t y . ( T h e s e e g g s w e r e b o i l e d b y H a r i t o n o v ,

b u t t h e y w e r e e a t e n, n o t i n I p a t i e v ' s h o us e , b ut i n t h e w o o ds . )

* * *

On the Tuesday morning, a whole nine days bef ore the

85



8 6 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSa r r i v a l o f t h e C z e c h s , Y u r o v s k y m a d e h i s f i n a l a r r a n g e m e n t s

f o r t h e m u r d e r o f t h e f a m i l y . The boy Leonid Sednev was

r e m o v e d e a r l y i n t h e d a y t o P o p o v ' s h o u s e a c r o s s t h e l a n e ,

w h i t h e r t h e R u s s i a n g u a r d s h a d b e e n t r a n s f e r r e d . There h e

w a s s e e n s i t t i n g o n t h e w i n d o w - s i l l a n d c r y i n g bi t t e r l y ; w h e t h e r

because he was dull without his play-fellow or had some

i n k l i n g of h i s f a t e i s n o t k n o w n . T h e b o y d i s a p p e a r e d , n e v e r

t o be s e en a ga i n . L a t e r t h i s g a v e r i s e t o r u m o ur s t h a t Y u r o v s k y

h a d b e e n t o l d t o r e s e r v e h i m f o r f u t u r e u s e , p e r h a p s t o i m -

p e r s o n a t e h i s l i t t l e f r i e n d t h e T s a r e v i c h - i n s h o r t , t o a c t

t h e p a r t o f a F a l s e D m i t r i .

Two important visitors came to the prison-house during

t h e d a y - n a m e l y , t h e a r c h - i n q u i s i t o r , I s a i G o l o s h c h e k i n , a n d

his humble servant, the Russian workman Beloborodov,

p r e s i d e n t o f t h e r e gi o n a l S o v i e t . The y took Yurovsky away

i n t h e i r a u t o m o b i l e t o s o m e p l a c e u n s p e c i f i e d , p r e s u m a b l y

to a meeting of the Soviet Presidium (Board) . Yurovsky

r e t u r n e d s o m e h o u r s l a t e r , t o w a r d s e v e n i n g .

At 7Pm.urovsky gave orders to Medvedev to collect

a l l t h e r e v o l v e r s o f t h e o u t e r g u a r d . Medvedev complied .

H e b r o u g h t t w e l v e N a g a n s ( t h e N a g a n i s t h e R u s s i a n s e r v i c e

revolver) to t he commandant's room and handed th em to

Yurovsky . T h e l a t t e r t h e n c on f i d e d t o hi m t h e p l a n t o s h o o t

the whole ` Tsarian family' that night . He (Medvedev)

w o u l d h a v e t o w a r n t h e R u s s i a n g u a r d s ` l a t e r , ' w h e n h e g o t

word to do so . M e a n w h i l e h e m u s t b e s i l e n t . A t n i g h t f a l l

( a b o u t 10 .30 p .m . i n t h es e l a t i t u d e s i n s u m m e r t i m e ) Me d v e d e v

t o l d t h e R u s s i a n s . ' T h e m u r d e r e r s w e r e t o b e t h e ' L e t t s . '

T h e r e i s n o r e c o r d of a n y o p e n p r o t e s t s o n t he p a r t o f t h e s e

men, who h ad bee n ` disgraced' only a few days ago for

t h e i r ' f r i e n d l i n e s s ' to the ' a r c h - ca p i t a l i s t ' and ' d r i n k e r

o f b l o o d . ' T h e r e i s n o t h i n g t o b e s u r p r i s e d a t . Beloborodov

had been rendered `amenable,' because he had 'st olen' ;

h e r e t h e c r i m e s l a i d t o t h e s e m e n ' s c h a r g e w e r e n o t o nl y p i l f e r i n g ,



CALVARY 8 7

b u t ' c o u n t e r - r e v o l u t i o n .' The y knew- and we may be sure

t h e y w e r e m a d e t o f e e l - t h a t t h e c h r e z v y c h a i k a would know

h o w t o d e a l w i t h t h e m i f t h e y s h o w e d t r u c u l e n c e . Having

'warned' th e Russi ans, Medvedev returned to t he com-

mandant .

Two other strangers now made their appearance . One of

them was Peter Ermakov, `military komisar ' o f t h e V e r k h -

I s e t s k I r o n w o r k s ; t h e o t h e r , h i s a s s i s t a n t , a s a i l o r n a m e d

V aganov . B o t h t h e s e m e n h a d d i s t i n g u i s h e d t h e m s e l v e s b y

t h e i r f e r o c i t y . T h e y w e r e p r o f e s s i o n a l a s s a s s i n s , ' w o r k i n g '

f o r t h e R e d i n q u i s i t i o n o u t o f s h e e r b l o o d - l u s t . B u t t h e r e

w a s a n o t he r r e a s o n f o r i n v i t i n g t h e s e b u t c he r s t o t h e a p p r o a c h -

i n g f e a s t o f b l o od . T h e y w e r e b o t h t o p l a y a l e a d i n g p a r t i n

t h e ` d i s p o s a l ' o f t h e bo d i e s . B o t h w e r e f r i e n d s o f Y u r o v s k y .

W i t h h i m t h e y h a d a l r e a d y , s o m e d a y s e a r l i e r , s t u d i e d a n d

a r r a n g e d t h e w h o l e g r i s l y p e r f o r m a n c e .

* * * * *

Wh en midnigh t by solar ti me had gone some minutes,

Y u r o v s k y w e n t t o t h e I m p e r i a l c h a m b e r s . T h e f a m i l y s l e p t .

He woke th em up, and told the m that t he re were urgent

r e a s o n s w h y t h e y s h o u l d b e a t o n c e r e m o v e d ; t h a t t h e r e w a s

t r o u b le i n t h e c i t y w h i c h m i g h t e n d a n ge r t h e i r l i v e s , a n d t h a t

they must dress quickly and come downstairs . A l l r o s e ,

w a s h e d a n d d r e s s e d t h e m s e l v e s , t h e G r a n d D u c h e s s e s d o n n i n g

t h e i r j e w e l - s t u f f e d g a r m e n t s . Each member of th e family

a n d t h e i r f o l l o w e r s p u t o n h i s o r h e r g o i n g - o u t c l o t h e s a n d

h e a d g e a r . The Empress wore h er overcoat . Some of t he

p r i s o n e r s e v e n t o o k t h e i r p i l l o w s - f o r c o m f o r t ' s s a k e o r b e -

c a u s e t h e y h a d p r e c i o u s p o s s e s s i o n s s e c r e t e d w i t h i n .

Yurovsky led the way downstairs ; t h e f a m i l y a n d s u i t e

f o l l ow e d . A l e x i s c o u l d n o t walk . H i s f a t h e r c a r r i e d h i m i n

h i s a r m s . Dr . E u g e n e S e r g e i e v i c h B o t k i n c a m e d i r e c t l y a f t e r

t h e f a m i l y , a n d a f t e r h i m c a m e t h e c h a m b e r - m a i d D e m i d o v a ,

t h e c o o k H a r i t o n o v , a n d t h e f o o t m a n T r u p p .



8 8 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVST h e p r o c e s s i o n d e s c e n d e d b y t h e b a c k s t a i r s l e a d i n g f r o m

t h e u p p e r t o t h e g r o u n d f l o o r . The door from th e lower

l a n d i n g ( b y t h e k i t c h e n) t o t h e r o o m s o f t h e g r o u nd f l o o r h a d

been boarded up to prevent direct communication between

t h e i r f o r m e r o c c u p a n t s - t h e R u s s i a n g u a r d s - a n d t h e p r i s o n e r s .

O n e h a d t o g o i n t o t h e y a r d a n d t h e n e n t e r t h e l o w e r f l o o r b y

a s e p a r a t e d o o r w a y . T h i s w a s t h e r o u t e f ol l ow e d b y Y u r o v s k y

a n d h i s v i c t i m s . The motor-lorry that had come for the

b o di e s w a i t e d o ut s i d e t h e g a t e of t h i s v e r y c o u r t y a r d , a n d i n

t h e d i m l i g h t o f t h e n o r t h e r n m i d n i g h t t h e p r i s o n e r s c o u l d

p r o b a b l y s e e t h e v e h i c l e a n d m u s t h a v e f e l t r e a s s u r e d , e v e n

i f a n y s u s p i c i o n o f t h e i r i m m i n e n t e n d h a d a s s a i l e d t h e i r

minds .

S t i l l f o l l o w i n g Y u r o v s k y , t h e y t r a v e r s e d a l l t h e r o o m s o f

t h e l o w e r f l o o r , n o w t e n a n t e d o n l y b y ` L e t t s , ' a n d c a m e a t

l a s t t o t h e s m a l l l o b by a d j o i n i n g t h e f r o n t e n t r a n c e o n t he l a n e

( p e r e ul o k) s i d e . T h i s l o b b y w a s l i g h t e d b y a s m a l l w i n d o w ,

h e a v i l y g r a t e d , l o o k i n g i n t o t h e g a r d e n . Outsi de stood a

sentry with a machine-gun . H e c o u l d s e e e v e r y t h i n g t h a t

w e n t o n i n s i d e , e s p e c i a l l y w h e n t h e i n t er i o r w a s l i t u p f o r t h e

e x e c u t i o n . This man's account played an important part

in assembling and corroborating th e various deposit ions

d e a l i n g w i t h t h e m u r d e r . O p p o s i t e t h e w i n d o w , a d o o r l e a d s

i n t o a s m a l l c h a m b e r ( i 8 f t . b y i 6 f t . ) w i t h a h e a v i l y g r i l le d

double window facing th e lane . H e r e a l s o s t o o d s e n t r i e s

o u t s i d e , a b le t o s e e w h a t w a s g o i n g o n w i t h i n . This chamber

i s p a r t l y b a s e m e n t . T h e g u a r d s h a d u s e d i t a s a d o r m i t o r y .

A l o c k e d d o o r l e d i n t o a b a s e m e n t c h a m b e r s i t u a t e d i m m e d i -

a t e l y u n d e r t h e T s a r ' s p r i s o n - r o o m . This corner basement

w a s a s t o r e - r o o m w h e r e s o m e o f t h e i m p e r i a l b e l o n g i n g s h a d

b e e n d e p o s i t e d - a n d p i l f e r e d . T h e r e w a s n o e s c a p e i n t h a t

d i r e c t i o n . B e s i d e s , t h e r e w e r e d o ub l e ba r r i e r s o u t s i d e , i n t er -

c e p t i n g s i g h t a n d s o u n d .

T h e f a m i l y a n d t h e i r f o l l o w e r s w e r e u s h e r e d i n t o t h e s e m i -


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-last-days-of-the-romanovs-robert-wilton-and-depositions-of-eye-witnesses-1920-350pgs-… 100/349

YANKEL (JACOB) SVERDLOVThe Re d Tsar

H e o r g a n i z e d t h e m u r d e r o f t h e R o m a n o v

f a m i l y , a n d w a s k i l l e d b y Ru s s i a n W o r k m e n .

H e w e a r s a s h o r t s h i r t a n d s h a b b y o v e r c o a t .

B o l s h e v i s m h a d r u i n e d t he i n d u s t r i e s o f t h e

c o u n t r y . O n l y t h e ca p o f e x p e n s i v e f u r b e f i t s

t he hi gh of f i ce of the wea r er . H e w a s P r e s i -

d e n t o f t h e ' T s i k , ' i . e . , P r i m e M i n i s t e r a n d

r u l e r o f t h e R e d I n q u i s i t i o n . H e p o s e s w i t h

h i s p o r t f o l i o a t t h e e n t r a n c e o f h i s p a l a t i a l

o f f i c e s i n t h e H o t e l M e t r o p o l e i n M o s c o w ,

t h e s q u a r e i n f r o n t o f w h i c h i s n a m e d a f t e r

him .

YANKEL YUROVSKY, THEMURDERER

He shot the Tsar and the Tsarevich

with his own hand.



SVERDLOV-THE RED TSAR(Copyrigi t Phcto)

YUROVSKY-THE MURDERER



CALVARY 8 9

b a s e m e n t c h a m b e r a n d t o l d t o w a i t . T h e y w e r e n o t s u s p i c i o u s .

I t d i d n o t o c c u r t o t h e m t h a t t h e y w e r e i n a t r a p . As the

r o o m w a s b a r e o f fu r n i t u r e , t h e T s a r a s k e d t o h a v e s o m e c ha i r s

b r o u g h t . H e w i s h e d t h e s u f f e r i n g E m p r e s s t o r e s t a n d t h e

s i c k b o y t o s i t d o w n . T h r e e c h a i r s w e r e b r o u g h t i n . One

w a s p a s s e d t o A l e x a n d r a , w h o h a d b e e n l e a n i n g a g a i n s t t h e

w a l l f a c i n g t h e l o b b y . N i c h o l a s s e a t e d A l e x i s w h e r e h e h a d

b e e n s t a n d i n g , i n t h e m i d d l e of t h e r o o m , a n d s a t d o w n b e s i d e

h im . A pillow was placed behind Alexandra . Two othe r

pillows remained in Demidova's arms . The Tsar and the

T s a r e v i c h k e p t t h e i r c a p s o n , a s i f e x p e c t i n g a n y m o m e n t

t o g o o u t . T h e y t h o u g h t t h e v e h i c l e s t h a t w e r e t o c o n v e y

t h e m a w a y h a d n o t a r r i v e d , t h e l o r r y b e i n g t h e r e t o t a k e t h e

l u g g a g e . O n t h e E m p r e s s ' s r i g h t s t o o d t hr e e of h er d a u gh t e r s ,

o n h e r l e f t t h e o t h e r d a u g h t e r a n d D e m i d o v a .

A l m o s t i m m e d i a t e l y t h e d o o r i n t o t h e l o b b y w a s o b s t r u c t e d

by Yurovsky, his friends and the ` L e t t s . ' There we re

Nikulin, Ermakov, Vaganov, Medvedev and seven ` L e t t s '

-the remaining t hree bei ng on guard duty . There were

t w e l v e m u r d e r e r s . E a c h c a r r i e d a r e v o l v e r . T h e r i f l e s o f

t h e ` L e t t ' g u a r d w e r e s t a c k e d i n t h e a d j o i n i n g r o o m ( w h e r e

t h e y l i v e d ) .

Yurovsky advanced into the death-chamber and addressed

t h e T s a r . T h er e a r e m a n y v e r s i o n s o f t h i s u t t e r a nc e . A c c o r d i n g

t o t h e m o s t t r u s t w o r t h y o n e , h e s a i d : ' Y o u r r e l a t i v e s h a v e

t r i e d t o s a v e y ou . B u t i t c o u l d n o t b e m a n a g e d b y t h e m , a n d

s o w e o u r s e l v e s a r e c o m p e l l e d t o s h o o t y o u . '

T h e t w e l v e r e v o l v e r s v o l l ey e d i n s t a n t l y , a n d a l l t h e p r i s o n e r s

f e l l t o t h e g r o u n d . D e a t h h a d b e e n i n s t a n t a n e o u s i n t h e c a s e

o f t h e p a r e n t s a n d t h r e e o f t h e c h i l d r e n , a n d o f D r . B o t k i n

a n d t w o s e r v a n t s . A l e x i s r e m a i n e d a li v e i n s p i t e o f h i s w o un d s ,

a n d m o a n e d a n d s t r u g g l e d i n h i s a g o n y . Y u r o v s k y f i n i s h e d



g o THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSh i m w i t h h i s C o l t . O n e o f t h e g i r l s - p r e s u m a b l y t h e y o u n g e s t

Grand Duchess, Anastasia-rolled about and screamed, and,

w h e n o n e o f t h e m u r d e r e r s a p p r o a c h e d , f o u g h t d e s p e r a t e l y

w i t h h i m t i l l h e k i l le d h er . I t s e e m s a s i f t h e m u r d e r e r s h a d

n o t b e en a b l e t o a i m s t r a i g h t a t t h e b oy a n d g i r l . E v e n t h e i r

callous hearts had wavered . The maid-servant lived the

l o n g e s t . P e r h a p s t h e p i l l o w s w e r e i n t h e w a y . Sh e was not

t o u ch e d by t h e f i r s t v o l l e y, a n d r a n a b o ut s c r e a m i n g t i l l s o m e

o f t h e ' L e t t s , ' s e i z i n g t h e i r r i f l e s , b a y o n e t e d he r t o d e a t h .

S h e w a s c o v e r e d w i t h s t a b s . P o o r D e m i d o v a d i e d t h e v i c t i m

o f a m i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g ; the Reds thought t hat she was a

m a i d - o f - h o n o u r a n d t h e r e f o r e a bo u r g e o i s e , w h e r e a s s h e w a s a

s i m p l e p e a s a n t g i r l .

W i t h i n a f e w m i n u t e s o f t h e i r e n t e r i n g t h e r o o m , a l l w a s o v e r .

N o t i m e w a s t o b e l o s t i n r e m o v i n g t r a c e s o f t h e c r i m e . The

f l o o r s a n d w a l l s h a d t o b e w a s h e d q u i c k l y a n d t h e b o di e s s e n t

away. Daylight would soon appear . There was a long way

t o g o t h r o u g h t h e c i t y . H a r d e n e d a n d r u t h l e s s , s e c u r e i n t h e

i m p u n i t y o f m u r d e r u n d e r t h e S o v i e t s y s t e m , Y u r o v s k y a n d

h i s a s s o c i a t e s w e r e no n e t h e le s s h u r r y i n g d e s p e r a t e l y . The y

k n e w t h a t t h e a r r a n g e m e n t s f o r

`executing' th e Romanovs

c o ul d n ot b e r e g a r d e d a s a t r i a l , n o r w o u l d t h e p e o p l e a p p r o v e

t h e d e e d . A n d s o l i k e c o m m o n m u r d e r e r s , t h e y w e r e d e s p e r -

a t e l y a n x i o u s t o g e t r i d o f t h e c or p s e s . Here Ermakov and

Vaganov became invaluable .

* * * * *

T h e ev i d e n c e of t h r e e e y e - w i t n e s s e s i s g i v e n b e lo w , n a m e l y

o f M e d v e d e v , o n e o f t h e a c t u a l m u r d e r e r s , o f Y a k i m o v , w h o

was present at t he shooting, and of a Red Guard named

Proskuriakov, who helped to remove traces of the murder .

The necessary comments of th e i nvest ig ating magistrate

accompany the deposit ions so that t he reader is able to

s t u d y t h e m i n t h e i r t r u e p e r s p e c t i v e .

M e d v e de v t o l d h i s w i f e a l l a b o u t i t d i r e c t l y a f t e r t h e m u r d e r .



CALVARY 9 1

H e d i d n o t c on c e a l t h e fa c t t h a t h e h i m s e l f h a d fi r e d h i s r e v o l v e r

a t t h e R o m a n o v s . H e e v e n e m p h a s i z e d h i s a c t i v e c o m p l i c i t y ,

b o a s t i n g t h a t h e w a s t h e o n l y R u s s i a n ' w o r k m a n ' w h o h a d

t a k e n p a r t i n t h e s h o o t i n g , a n d t h a t a l l t h e . o t h e r s , b e s i d e s

Y u r o v s k y a n d h i s a s s i s t a n t s , w e r e ` n ot o u r s ' - i . e . , f o r e i g n e r s .

M e d v e d e v w a s c a u g h t a t P e r m w h i l e t r y i n g t o b l o w u p t h e

b r i d g e o v e r t h e K a m a t o c o v e r t h e r e t r e a t o f t h e R e d A r m y .

H e c on f i r m e d a l l t h e s t a t e m e n t s t h a t h e h a d m a d e t o h i s w i f e ,

e x c e p t i n o n e p a r t i c u l a r : h e de n i e d h a v i n g s t a t e d t h a t h e

h a d h i m s e l f d o ne t h e s h o o t i n g . I t i s a c u s t o m a r y r e s e r v a t i o n

i n t h e c a s e o f a l l w h o t a k e p a r t i n a j o i n t a n d p r e a r r a n g e d

murder . T h e w i t n e s s t e s t i f i e s t o t h e f a c t o f t h e m u r d e r a n d

n a m e s t h e a ct u a l m u r d e r e r s , b u t p e r s i s t s i n d ec l a r i n g t h a t h e

h i m s e l f d i d no t d o t h e k i l l i n g , a l t h o u g h he a d m i t s t o h o l di n g

a r e v o l v e r i n h i s h a n d a t t h e t i m e o f t h e s h o o t i n g . T o d i v e r t

t h e e v i d e nc e f r o m h i m s e l f he h a d t o i n v e n t a n a l i b i . Hear

w h a t h e s a y s i n h i s s i g n e d de p o s i t i o n :-

' Y u r o v s k y s e n t m e o u t , s a y i n g , " G o i n t o t h e s t r e e t ; s ee

i f t h e r e i s a n y o n e' a b o u t a n d i f t h e s h o t s c a n b e he a r d . " I w e nt

o u t i n t o t h e y a r d s u r r o u n d e d b y t h e b i g f e n c e ' ( h e m e a n s t h e

s p a c e b e t w e e n t h e ou t s i d e w a l l a n d t h e h o a r d i n g s ) , ` a n d ,

b e f o r e I h a d t i m e t o r e a c h t h e s t r e e t , h e a r d t h e s o u n d o f t h e

. f i r i n g . I r e t u r n e d a t o n c e i n s i d e t h e h o u s e - o n l y t w o o r

t h r e e m i n u t e s h a d p a s s e d - a n d, e n t e r i n g t h e r o o m w h e r e t h e

s h o ot i n g h a d b ee n c a r r i e d o u t , I s a w t h a t a l l t h e m e m b e r s

o f t he T s a r ' s f a m i l y - t h e T s a r , t h e T s a r i t s a , t h e f o ur d a u gh t e r s ,

a n d t h e N a s l e d n i k ( h e i r ) , w e r e a l r e a d y l y i n g o n t h e f l o o r w i t h

n u m e r o u s w o u n ds o n t h ei r b o di e s , a n d t h e bl o od w a s f l o w i n g

i n t o r r e n t s . T h e do c t or , m a i d , a n d t w o m e n - s e r v a n t s h a d a l s o

b e e n k i l l e d . W h en I a p p e a r e d t h e Na s l ed n i k w a s s t i l l a li v e ,

g r o a n i n g . Y u r o v s k y w e n t u p t o h i m a n d f i r e d t w o o r t h r e e

t i m e s p o i n t - bl a nk i n t o hi m . T h e N a s l e dn i k w a s s t i l l . The

p i c t u r e o f t h e m u r d e r , t h e s m e l l a n d s i g h t o f t h e b lo o d, c a u s e d

m e t o f ee l s i c k . . . . '



9 2 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSA n a t o l y Y a k i m o v , t h e s e c o n d w i t n e s s , i s t h e m a n w h o h a d

become 'converted' after remaining a few weeks wit h the

T s a r . He had been a sergeant of th e Russian Guard, and

r e m a i n e d s o a f t e r t h e R u s s i a n s h a d b e en r e l e ga t e d t o t h e o u t er

p o s t s . I t w a s h i s b u s i n e s s t o p l a c e t h e s e n t r i e s a n d s e e t ha t

t h e y r e m a i n e d a t t h e i r p o s t s . A s t h e R u s s i a n s e n t r i e s c o u l d

s e e i n t o t h e r o o m w h e r e t h e m u r d e r i n g w a s t o b e d o n e , i t

h a d n o t b e e n p o s s i b l e t o k e e p t h e m i n i g n o r a n c e t o t h e e n d ,

as explained above . Yakimov 'sympathi zed' wit h th e

p r i s o n er s , b u t h e di d n o t d a r e t o g i v e e f f e c t t o t h e s e f e e li n g s .

T h e r e i s g o o d r e a s o n t o b e l i e v e t h a t h e w a s p r e s e n t a t t h e

murder . Possibly Yurovsky had insist ed upon his being

i n s i d e t h e h o us e a t t h e t i m e , i n or d e r t o i m p l i c a t e h i m i n t h e

d e e d . H i s a l i b i b e a r s a f a m i l y l i k e n e s s t o M e dv e d e v ' s . Like

h i m , h e h a d a f u l l , c i r c u m s t a n t i a l k n o w l e d g e o f t h e k i l l i n g

t h a t c o r r o b o r a t e s M e dv e d e v i n e v e r y e s s e n t i a l p o i n t , a n d t h a t

could not have come to him unless he had been actually

p r e s e nt . H e ex p l a i n s t h a t i t w a s a l l t ol d t o h i m b y t h e s e n t r i e s

-two men who stood outside the death-chamber window and

t w o o t h e r s w h o w e r e i n t h e c o u r t y a r d w h e n t h e b o d i e s w e r e

removed .

H e a l s o u n b u r d e n e d h i m s e l f t o h i s f a m i l y. A c c o r d i n g t o

h i s o w n a c c o u n t , h e h e a r d o f t h e m u r d e r a t f o u r o ' c l o c k i n

t h e m o r n i n g , a f t e r w h i c h h e c o u l d n o t s l e e p , b u t ' j u s t s a t

a n d s h i v e r e d, ' a s h e s a y s . A t e i g h t o' c l o c k he w e n t t o h i s s i s t e r ,

a woman of some education, who was married to Agafonov,

a n of f i c i a l of t h e C o m m i s s a r i a t o f J u s t i c e . H e r e i s w h a t h i s

s i s t e r d ep o s e s : ` H e c a m e i n w i t h o u t s a y i n g a w o r d , l o o k i n g

d r e a d f u l ly u p s e t a n d e x h a u s t e d . I n o t i c e d i t a t o n ce a n d a s k e d

h im : " W h a t i s t h e m a t t e r w i t h y o u ? " H e r e q u e s t e d m e t o

c l o s e t h e d oo r , s a t d o w n a n d k e p t s i l e n t , h i s f a c e c o n v u l s e d

w i t h t e r r o r a n d h i s b o d y t r e m b l i n g v i o l e nt l y . I a g a i n a s k e d

h im : " W h a t a i l s y o u ? " I t h o ug h t t ha t s o m e g r e a t m i s f o r t u ne



CALVARYhad overtaken him . H e s t i l l m a i n t a i n e d a n o b s t i n a t e s i l e n ce ,

a l t h o u g h i t e v i d e n t l y c a u s e d h i m s u f f e r i n g . The t hought

o c c u r r e d t o m e : " M a y b e t h e y h a v e k i l l e d N i c h o l a s , " l a s k e d

h i m i f i t w a s s o . M y b r o t h e r a n s w e r e d s o m e t h i n g l i k e : "It

i s a l l ov e r , " a n d i n r e p l y t o m y f u r t h e r q ue s t i o n s h e s a i d t h a t

a l l h a d b e e n k i l l e d - i . e . , t h e T s a r h i m s e lf a n d a ll h i s f a m i l y ,

a n d a l l w h o h a d b e en w i t h t h e m e x c e p t i n g t h e i r l i t t l e s c u ll i o n .

I d o no t r e c a l l m y a s k i n g h i m i f h e h a d t a k e n p a r t i n t h e m u r d e r ,

b u t I r e m e m b e r h i s s a y i n g t h a t h e h a d s e e n t h e s p e c t a c l e o f

t h e m u r d e r w i t h h i s o w n e y e s . H e r e l a t e d h o w t h i s s i g h t h a d

so shaken him that he could not hold out, and every now

a n d t h e n h a d g o n e o u t o f t h e h o u s e i n t o t h e o p e n a i r , a d d i n g

t h a t h i s c o m r a d e s i n t h e g u a r d h a d u p b r a i d e d h i m f o r i t ,

s u s p e c t i n g h i m o f f e e l i n g r e p e n t a n c e o r p i t y . . . . I then

u n d er s t o o d hi m t o m e a n t h a t h e h a d b e en h i m s e l f i n t h e r o o m ,

o r s o n e a r t h a t h e c o u l d s e e t h e a c t u a l m u r d e r w i t h h i s o w n

e y e s . '

H e r e a r e t w o c o r r o b or a t i v e d e p o s i t i o n s o f i n t e r e s t . W h e n

Y a k i m o v h a d l e f t h i s s i s t e r , s h e i m m e d i a t e l y r a n o u t t o h e r

h u s b a n d ' s o f f i c e . An investi gating magistrate named Tom-

a s h e v s k y w a s i n t h e n e x t r o o m , a n d s a w h e r s t a n d i n g , w e e p i n g ,

a n d w h i s p e r i n g t o h e r h u s b a n d . W h e n s h e h a d g o n e , A g a f o n o v

c a m e a n d t o l d t h i s s a m e s t o r y i n c o n f i d e n c e t o T o m a s h e v s k y .

Agafonov saw Yakimov later in the day, and relates what

t r a n s p i r e d : ` Yakimov came to take leave . [He was going

t o t h e f r o n t . ] I was struck by his appearance : t h e f a c e

p i n c he d , t h e p u p i l s d i s t e n d ed , t h e l o w e r l i p q u i v e r i n g w h e n h e

spoke . T h e m e r e s i g h t o f h i m c o n v i n c e d m e t h a t a l l t h a t m y

w i f e h a d s a i d w a s t r u e . C l e a r l y , A n a t o l y h a d p a s s e d t h r o u g h

s o m e t e r r i b l e e x p e r i e n c e d ur i n g t h e n i g h t . . . . I o n ly a s k e d

h im : " H o w a r e t h i n g s ? " H e r e p l i e d , " I t i s a l l o v e r " '

( v s e k on c h e no ) ,

9 3



94 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSP h i l i p P r o s k u r i a k o v - a y o u n g s t e r , t h e t y p e o f t h e g o o d -

n a t u r e d p e a s a n t - d e p o s e d t h a t h e h a d e n t e r e d t h e g u a r d a t

I p a t i e v ' s h o u s e p r i n c i p a l l y b e c a u s e h e w a s c u r i o u s t o h a v e a

l o ok a t t h e T s a r ; n o t b e ca u s e h e f e lt h o s t i l e t o h i m ; i n d e e d,

i f h e d i s l i k e d a n y b o dy i t w a s t h e J ew s . H i s n a r r a t i v e i m p r e s s e d

t h e i n v e s t i g a t i n g m a g i s t r a t e b y i t s e v i d en t s i n ce r i t y . He did

n o t s e e t h e a c t u a l m u r d e r , h a v i n g s p e n t t h e e v e n i n g w i t h s o m e

f r i e n d s a n d t a k e n c o p i o u s d r a u g h t s o f ` d e n a t u r a t ' ( m e t h y -

l a t e d s p i r i t s , w h i c h w e r e i n v o g u e s i n c e t h e p r o h i b i t i o n o f

v o d k a ) , a n d a s a r e s u l t o f t h es e l i b a t i o n s , M e d v e d ev h a d p l a c e d

h i m u n d e r a r r e s t . He was locked up in the bath-house and

s l e e p i n g o f f h i s ` s p r e e ' wh en Medvedev came to wake h im

a n d o r d e r h i m t o g o i n t o t h e ho u s e .

T h e b o d i e s h a d b e e n t a k e n o u t j u s t b e f o r e h e r e a c h e d t h e

death-chamber . Everything t hat happened i n the house

i m m e d i a t e l y a f t e r w a r d s c a m e u n d e r h i s p e r s o n a l o b s e r v a t i o n .

H e w a s h e d t h e b l o o d o f f t h e f l o o r a n d t h e w a l l s . That h e

p o s i t i v e l y a d m i t s . He discussed the details of the murder

wit h Andrel St rekot in, one of t he guards, who enjoyed

M e d v e d e v ' s f r i e n d s h i p a n d h a d b e e n s e l e c t e d b y h i m t o s t a n d

a t t h e l o w e r - f l o o r m a c h i n e - g u n p o s t d u r i n g t h e ' e x e c u t i o n . '

T h i s s a m e S t r e k o t i n a l s o r e l a t e d h i s o b s e r v a t i o n s t o o n e o f

h i s b r o t h e r - g u a r d s n a m e d L e t e m i n , a r r e s t e d l a t e r a n d f o u n d

t o b e i n p o s s e s s i o n o f a w h o l e c o ll e c t i o n of v a l u a b l e s b e l o n gi n g

t o t h e f a m i l y a n d A l e x i s ' s p a n i e l j o y ( a f t e r w a r d s b r o u gh t t o

E n g l a n d ) . Letemin's version agreed with Proskuriakov's

r e n d e r i n g of t h e S t r e k o t i n e y e - w i t n e s s a c c ou n t . W h a t i s s t i l l

more important, Proskuriakov heard also Medvedev relate

t h e s t o r y o f t h e k i l l i n g .

M e d v e d ev t o l d i t t o a l l t h e g u a r d s w h o , w i t h P r o s k u r i a k o v ,

were washing the floor : ` Pashka (Paval-i . e . , M e d v e d e v )

h i m s e l f r e l a t e d t h a t h e h a d l o o s e d o f f t w o o r t h r e e b u l l e t s a t

t h e g o s u k a r ( t h e l o r d - i . e . , t h e T s a r ) a n d a t o t h e r p e r s o n s .

. . . I 7 a m t e l l i n g t h e h on e s t t r u t h . H e d i d n o t s a y a n y t h i n g



CALVARY 9 5

a t a l l a b o u t h i s n o t h a v i n g f i r e d h i m s e l f on a c c o un t o f b e i n g

s e n t o u t s i d e t o li s t e n t o t he s h o t s . . . . T h a t i s a l i e ! '

O n e p a t h e t i c i n c i d e n t es c a p e d t h e n o t i c e of a l l t h e s e w i t n e s s e s .

T h e G r a n d D u c h e s s A n a s t a s i a t o o k w i t h h e r a K i n g C h a r l e s

s p a n i e l , c a r r y i n g i t i n h e r a r m s i n t o t h e d e a t h - r o o m . The

c o r p s e o f l i t t l e j e m m y w a s f o u n d a b o v e a h e a p o f c i n d e r s -

a l l t h a t r e m a i n e d o f t h e f a m i l y t h a t h a d lo v e d h er a n d s h a r e d

w i t h h e r t h e i r m e a g r e f a r e . T h e m u r d e r e r s h a d k n o c k e d t h e

f a i t h f u l f r i e n d o n t h e h e a d a n d t h r o w n t h e b o d y d o w n t h e

i r o n - p i t w i t h o u t t r o u b li n g t o b ur n i t . E v e n i n h e r d e a t h t h e

t i t t l e do g w a t c h e d o v e r t h e m , a n d h er m a n g l e d r e m a i n s , s t i l l

r e c o g ni z a b l e , b r o u gh t f i n a l u n m i s t a k a b l e p r o o f o f t h e en d o f

t h e f a m i l y .



CHAPTER X`WITHOUT TRACE'

THERE has probably not been another instance in the

w h o l e h i s t o r y o f c r i m e o f p r e c a u t i o n s t o e s c a p e d e -

t e c t i o n h a l f s o e l a b o r a t e a s in th e Romanov murder case

A l l s o r t s o f s u b t e r f u g e s h a v e b e e n t r i e d b y l e s s e r c r i m i n a l

w i t h m o r e o r l e s s s u c c e s s . Here every ruse was combined

The murderers carried out the following comprehensive

programme : (i) They gave out a false announcement of

t h e` e x e c u t i o n ' ; ( 2 ) they destroyed the bodies ; ( 3 ) t h e y

i n v e n t e d a m o c k f u n e r a l ; a n d ( 4 ) t h e y s t a g e d a m o c k t r i a l

The thoroughness of the methods reminds one of their

masters, the Germans . I t i s a c a s e o f ' spurlos . ' Howe ver ;

i n t h i s , a s i n t h e ot h e r i n s t a n c e , d e t e c t i o n f ol l o w e d . T h (

c r i m i n a l a l w a y s g i v e s h i m s e l f a w a y . The very complexit3

o f t h e S o v i e t ' p r e c a u t i o n s ' p r o v ed t h e i r u n do i ng .

I n v a i n t h e y d r e w i n n u m e r a b l e h er r i n g s o f t h e i r o w n c o l o n :

o v e r t h e t r a i l , s u b o r n i n g fa l s e w i t n e s s e s t o g i v e m i s l e a di n g

i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t t h e w h e r e a b o u t s o f t h e b o d i e s , a n n o u n c i n g

o f f i c i a l l y t h a t t h e f a m i l y h a d b e e n r e m o v e d t o ` a s a f e p l a c e,

e t c . S o k o l o v h a s r u n t h e m i n t o t h e o p e n .

The murder accomplished, all the bodies were carrie'

i n t o t h e c o u r t y a r d a n d p l a c e d o n t h e w a i t i n g l o r r y . Th

corpses were not subjected to a th orough search-as w

s h a l l s e e - b e c a u s e Y u r o v s k y w a s a n x i o u s t o g e t a w a y f r o r

t h e c i t y b e f o r e d a y b r e a k . T h e y w e r e r o l l e d u p i n o l d c o a t

9 6



WITHOUT TRACE' 97

and covered wit h mats to conceal th e' cargo ' from prying eyes .

Yankel Yurovsky, Ermakov and Vag anov we nt wi t h t h em .

As soon as th ey had gone, Medvedev summoned th e Russians

to ` wash up.' They had not been truste d to do the oth erwork, and Yankel had even deprived th em of th ei r revolvers-

the ` Le tt s ' had their own-perhaps because he did notfe el quite sure h ow th ey mig ht beh ave during th e murder .

Even now, Medve dev, h i s he nchman, called up th e S yse rt

workmen-h is own parti cular fri ends-t o remove t he te ll-

tale traces of t he crime. They washed and swabbed the

floor and th e walls in th e death -chamber and in th e oth er

rooms th rough which th e bodie s had been borne . (So muchblood had flowed that t he marks of th e red-st ained swab were

disti nctly visi ble a year late r when I visi te d Ipatie v's house,

and expert s found unmist akable e vidence of it s bei ng human

blood .) The st ones i n the courtyard were also scoured .

Meanwhi le t he lorry, with it s tragi c burden, was maki ng

it s way to t he appointed place i n the woods, a remote corner

of some disuse d iron-mines, once t he property of Counte ss

Nadezh da Alexei evna St enbok-Fermor and now of th e Ve rkh-

Iset sky Works . This place i s sit uate d north -e ast of th e Perm

and Ural railway lines, about eleven miles out of t he city, near

th e f orest road leading t o t he village of Kopti aki .

Ermakov (mili tary komisar fo r th e dist rict) placed a cordon

of Re d Guards all round th e wood . During t h at and th e

two following days and nig ht s all passage th rough it was

sto pped . As will be see n later, th is ` precaution ' defe ated

it s purpose .

* * * * *

Let us ret urn for a few days to Ek ateri nburg . YankelYurovsky had reappeared i n th e death- house in t he morning

of July 17 . None of the Russian guards knew where hehad be e n . Medvedev had he ard vaguely th at h e had `gone

G



9 8 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSt o t h e w o o d s . ' A t t h e s a m e t i m e t h e r e a p p e a r e d t h e r e p r i e v e d

t h i e f B e l o b o r o d o v a n d h i s m a s t e r , T s a i G o l o s h c h e k i n .

The movables belonging to th e murdered family went to

s a t i s f y t h e i r r a p a c i o u s i n s t i n ct s . S o m e o f t h e w i t n e s s e s d e s -

c r i b e t a b l e s l a d e n w i t h p r e c i o u s s t o n e s , j e w e l l e r y , a n d a l l s o r t s

of other articles scattered about the Commandant's room .

E v e r y t h i n g h a d b e e n r a n s a c k e d , a n d w h a t w a s n o t f o u n d t o

b e w o r t h k e e p i n g w a s t h r o w n a w a y o r d e s t r o y e d i n t h e f i r e -

p l a c e s , w h i c h w e r e b l a z i n g d e s p i t e t h e s u m m e r h e a t .

Y u r o v s k y a n d G o l o s h c h e k i n t r a v e l l e d b y m o t o r - c a r t o t h e

w o o d s o n t h e 1 7 t h , 1 8 t h a n d 1 9 t h , r e m a i n i n g f o r m a n y h o u r s

- i n f a c t w h o l e d a y s - a t t h e i r o n - p i t s . B u t a l l t hi s t i m e t h e

s e n t r i e s w e r e o n d u t y o u t s i d e t h e d e a t h - h o u s e a s i f n o t h i n g

had happened, so that the people should suspect nothing .

T h e y w e r e r e m o v e d o n l y o n t h e f o u r t h d a y , w h e n t h e c o r d o n

a r o u n d t h e w o o d w a s a l s o r a i s e d .

** *

* *

Only then (on July 20) was t h e announcement made at

R e d m e e t i n g s a n d i n o f f i c i a l p r o c l a m a t i o n s t h a t ' N i c h o l a s

the Sanguinary' had been executed . The news was simul-

t a n e ou s l y t r a n s m i t t e d b y t he w i r e l e s s s t a t i o ns o f t h e B o l s h e v i s t

Government, and appeared in The Times o f J u l y 22 ( 1 8 1 8 )

i n t h e f o l l o w i n g f o r m : -

At th e fi rst session of the C entral Executi ve Commit te e elected by

th e Fif th Congress of t he Councils a message was made public, received

by direct wire from the Ural Reg ional Council, concerning th e shoot ing

of th e e x-Tsar, Nicholas Romanov .

Recently Ekaterinburg, th e capital of t he Red Ural, was seriously

th reatened by the approach of th e Czecho-S lovak bands . At th e same

ti me a counte r-revolutio nary conspiracy was dis covere d, having f oi

its object th e wresting of the tyrant from the hands of the Council' . ,

authori ty by armed fo rce . In view of thi s fact, the President of the

Ural Re gi onal Council decided to sh oot t he ex-Tsar, Nicholas Romanov

This decisi on was carried out on July 16 .

The w if e and son of R omanov have be en se nt to a place of securit y

D ocumen t s concerning t h e conspiracy w h i c h w e r e d i scover ed havc

be en forwarded to Moscow by a special mes se nge r .

It had been recently decided to bring th e e x-Tsar before a tribunal

to be trie d for hi s crimes against t he people, and only late r occurrence :



WITHOUT TRACE' 99

led to delay in adopti ng th is course . The Presidency of th e C entral

Executi ve C ommit te e, afte r having discussed the circumstances wh ich

compelled the Ural Regi onal Council to take t he decision to shoot

Nicho las Romanov, deci ded as follows : The Russian Ce ntral Execu-

ti ve C ommit te e, in the persons of th e Presi dium, accept t he decisi on

of t he Ural Reg ional Council as being re gular .

The C entral Executi ve C ommit te e h as now at it s disposal extremely

important mate rial concerning t he Nicholas Romanov aff air : his own

diaries, which he kept almost t o th e last days ; the diaries of hi s wife

and chi ldren ; hi s correspondence, amongst whi ch are lett ers by Gre-

go ry Rasputi n to Ro manov and hi s f amily . All these materials will

be e xamined and publish ed in th e near future .

Every w o r d o f t h i s o f f i c i a l s t a t e m e n t i s i m p o r t a n t , f o r

e v e r y p h r a s e c o n t a i n s a l i e , a n d e v e r y l i e s h o w s u p i n m o r e

g l a r i n g c o l o ur s t h e d i a b o l i c a l n a t u r e o f t h e p l o t h a t c h e d a n d

c a r r i e d o ut b y Y a n k e l S v e r d l o v a n d h i s t o o l s a n d a c c o m p l i c e s .

I t a k e t h e f a l s e h o o d s seriatim : ( x ) T h e m e s s a g e m a d e p u b l i c

a t t h e T s i k a s c o m i n g f r o m t h e U r a l s o v d e p w a s i n r e a l i t y

c o n c o c t e d b y S v e r d l o v ; ( 2 ) t h e C z e c h s e n t e r e d E k a t e r i n b u r g

o n t h e 2 5 t h , n i n e d a y s a f t e r t h e ' e x e c u t i o n , ' a n d t h e r e w a s

no armed plot ; (3) the Presidium of the Ural sovdep did

n o t ' d e c i d e ' to shoot t he ex-Tsar, for that ' d e ci s i o n '

was dictated from Moscow ; ( q . ) th e `wi fe and son' were

n o t s e n t t o ' a p l a c e o f s e c ur i t y , ' b u t w e r e b a s e l y m u r d e r e d ;

( 5 ) n o ' l a t e r o c c u r r e n ce s ' supervened that could by any

s t r e s s o f t h e i m a g i n a t i o n b e c o n s t r u e d i n t o a j u s t i f i c a t i o n

f o r n o t b r i n g i n g t h e e x - T s a r b e f or e a t r i b u n a l , e v e n s u p p o s i n g

t h e r e h a d ev e r b e e n a n y r e a l i n t e n t i o n t o d o s o ( a s a m a t t e r

o f f a c t , t h i s s t o r y o f a ' t r i b u n a l ' w a s i n v e n t e d ) ; ( 6 ) t h e

I m p e r i a l c o r r e s p o n d e n c e t a k e n w i t h o t h e r ' l o o t ' 1 f r o m t h e

murdered Family has no t b e e n p u b l i s h e d t o t h i s d a y .

1 Up to date (Aug ust, 1 9 2 0 ) , the only information th at has reache d

th e world respect ing t he Imperial Family's private papers, removed to

Moscow afte r the ir death, is contained in three short t elegrams pub-

lished in The Times of A ugust 16, August 28 and September 2 8 , 1 9 1 8 .

The f irst g ives an extract of th e Tsar's diary for March 2 - 1 5 , th e day

of h is abdicati on at Pskov :-' Ge neral Ruzsky came t hi s morning and read to me a long conversa-

t i on wh ich h e h ad had o n th e t elephone wi th R odzianko, according



zoo THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSHere is a translation of the offi cial announcement as it

was made to th e people of Ekaterinburg :-DECISION

of t he Presi dium of t he Reg ional Soviet of Wo rkmen's, Peasants' and

Redguards' Deputie s of t he Ural .

In vie w of t he fact that C zecho-S lovak bands are t hreatening t he

Re d capit al of t he Urals, Ekate rinburg ; in view also th at th e f act

t h at t h e crowned hangman (paldch) may escape th e people's assizes (a

Wh it eg uard plot t o capture th e whole Romanov family has be en dis-

covered), the Presidium of th e Re gional Soviet in fulfilment of the will

of t he revoluti on has decided ( p o s t a n o v i l ) th at th e f ormer Tsar, Nicholas

Romanov, gui lty bef ore t he people of i nnumerable sangui nary crimes,

shall be sh ot .

On the night of th e 16th t o the 17th of July, the decision (postanov-

l e n i e ) of th e Reg ional Soviet was carrie d into e xecuti on .

to wh ich th e sit uation at Petrograd is such that a Cabinet of members

of t he Duma will be unable to do anythi ng because against it are fig ht -

ing t he Socialist Partie s in t he shape of workmen's committ ees . Myabdicati on is necessary . Ruzsky has transmit te d th is conversati on to

Ge neral He adquarters, and Alexei ev passe d it on to all th e Comman-

ders-in-Chief . At 1 2 . 3 0 came answe rs from all, th e se nse of wh ich i s

th at, to save Russi a and keep t he Army at th e f ront quiet , I must make

up my mind to t h i s st e p . I h ave cons en t e d . From G . H . Q . t h e y

have sent a draft of a manif est o . In th e evening arrived from Pet ro-

grad Guchk ov and Shulgi n, with wh om I had a long talk, and handed

th em the sig ned manif esto, as alte red ( i . e . , renouncing th e Tsarevich' s

righ ts as well-the Tsar's own decision) . At I o'clock in the morning

left Pskov with a heavy fe eling, due to all I have lived through . Amsurrounded by treach ery, cowardice and decei t . '

The second reproduces a let te r date d January 14, 1916, f rom th e

Empress Marie to ' Nik i,' complaini ng of W it te 's delay in summon-

ing t he Duma, bids th e Tsar be st rong, congratulati ng hi m on hi s' new

s p i r i t .' On April 5 (at Tsarskoe) the Tsar in hi s diary speaks of pre-

parations to g o to Eng land, and says th at news of th is proposal was

communicate d to h im by Prince Lvov and Kere nsky .

The t h i rd merely enumerates t h e ot h er documents se ized by th e

Soviet : `The diaries of th e Empress and he r daugh te rs, note s by

th e Tsarevich, over 5 , 0 0 0 lett ers of th e correspondence of th e Tsar

wit h hi s wife , wit h th e Kaiser and oth er sovereig ns, wit h Rasputin

and divers of fi cial personage s, also wit h h is f athe r Alexander III

be tw ee n 1877 and 1894 . '

Lastly, th e Manchest er Guardian (of July 1 , 1 9 2 0 ) publishe d from its

Moscow corres pondent a summary of Alexandra's let te rs to Nicholas

II, copies of whi ch (the originals having disappeared) had been secretly

lent to h im by a member of t h e S ovie t Government . The ext racts

quoted by hi m do not sh ed any new ligh t o n her lif e and character .



WITHOUT TRACE' 101The f amily of Ro manov has be en transfe rred from Ekate rinburg

to anot he r and safe r place .

The Presidium of t he Reg . Soviet of W . , P ., and R. Dep . of t he Ural .

DECISIONof th e Presidium of th e All-Russian Ce ntr . Ex . Com . of 18th July, A .C .

The All-Russian Centr. Ex . Com . of Soviets of W . , P . , R . and Cossack

De puti es i n the person of i ts Presidium approves t he acti on of th e

Presidium of t he Reg . S ov. of th e Ural .

The Presi dent of th e Tsik, Y . S verdlov .

The discrepancies between the Moscow and the Ekaterin-

b u r g a n n o u n c e m e n t s a r e i n t e r e s t i n g . T h e d a t e o f t h e T s i k ' s

` d e ci s i o n ' w a s k e p t s e c r e t f o r t w o d a y s a f t e r i t s o s t e n s i b l e

i s s u e . A s a m a t t e r o f f a c t , t h e w h o le m u r d e r h a d b e e n di r e c t e d

from Moscow, and even the text of the' announcement' had

b e en p r e v i o u s l y a p p r o v e d by S v e r d l ov , s o i t i s n o t s u r p r i s i n g

t h a t B e l o b o r o d o v d i s r e g a r d e d d a t e s . B u t t h e r e a l r e a s o n w a s

t h a t t h e R e d c h i e f t a i n s f e a r e d t h e p e o p l e a n d , a b o v e a l l , s o u g h t

t o o b s c u r e t h e f a c t s .

* * * * *

I n o w r e t u r n t o t h e w o o d s . On the 17th, 18th and 19th

l a r g e q u a n t i t i e s o f p e t r o l a n d s u l p h u r i c a c i d w e r e t a k e n f r o m

t h e ci t y t o t h e i r o n - p i t s ; a t l e a s t 150 g a l l o n s o f t h e f o r m e r

and ii ponds (400 l b . ) o f t h e la t t e r . Ekaterinburg being

t h e c e n t r e o f t h e p l a t i n u m i n d u s t r y r e q u i r e d l a r g e s t o c k s

o f s u l p h u r i c a c i d t o g e n e r a t e t h e i n t e n s e h e a t n e c e s s a r y f o r

m e l t i n g t h i s h a r d e s t o f m e t a l s . T h e K o m i s a r o f S u p p l i e s w a s

V o l k o v , e x - p a s s e n g e r i n L e n i n ' s G e r m a n t r a i n . He i t was

w h o f u r n i s h e d t h e a c i d t o Y u r o v s k y a s h i s f r i e n d S v e r d l o v ' s

a g e n t . (I remember I wanted to order a platinum ring at

a l o ca l j e w e l l er ' s d u r i n g m y s t a y i n t h e c i t y . He could not

c a r r y o u t t h e or d e r b e ca u s e t h e r e w a s n o s u l p h u r i c a c i d ' s i n c e

t h e p r e v i o u s y e a r . ' )

T h e r e i s n o t t h e s h a d o w o f a d o u b t a s t o w h a t h a p p e n e d

a r o u n d t he i r o n - p i t , a s t h e r e a d er w i l l c on v i n c e hi m s e l f a f t er

r e a d i n g t h e n e x t c h a p t e r . Y u r o v s k y ' s a c o l y t e s c u t u p t h e



102 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSb o d i e s , s t e e p e d t h e m i n p e t r o l , a n d b u r n e d t h e m . The sul-

p h u r i c a c i d w a s u s e d t o d i s s o l v e t h e l a r g er b o n e s .

I h a v e s p o k e n o f t h e m o c k f u n er a l i n v e n t e d , b y t h e m u r d e r e r s

t o d e ce i v e p u b l i c o p i n i o n i n R u s s i a a n d a b r o a d . H e r e i s t h e

t e l eg r a m t h a t a p p e a r e d i n t h e P r e s s o n S e p t e m b e r 2 3 , 1918 :-AMSTERDAM, Se pt . 2 2 .-According t o a te legram from Moscow, th e

I z v e s t u a gives t he following description of the obsequies of t he ex-Tsar,

wh ich , according t o news paper reports, were solemnly carrie d out by

troops of th e People's Army ( s i c ) at Ekate rinburg .

`The body of t he ex-Tsar, which h ad bee n burie d in a wood at th e

place of exe cuti on, was exhumed, th e g rave h aving b ee n found th rough

inf ormati on supplie d by persons wh o were acquainted wit h t he cir-

cumstances of the e xecuti on . The exh umation, says the S ovie t jour-

nal, took place i n th e presence of many representat ives of th e supreme

ecclesiasti cal authoriti es i n West ern Sibe ria, th e local clergy, and dele-

gate s f rom th e People's Army, Cos sacks, and Czecho- Slovaks . Thebody was placed in a zinc coffin, encased in a costly covering of Si beri an

cedar and the coff in was exposed in th e C ath edral at Ekate rinburg

under a guard of honour composed of t he chie f commanders of th e

People' s Army. The body will be t emporarily burie d in a special

sarcophagus at Omsk . '

C o m m e n t i s s u p e r f l u o u s . T h e f o u r t h a n d l a s t o f t h e ` p r e -

c a u t i o n s ' a g a i n s t c o n v i c t i o n f o l l o w e d a y e a r l a t e r , p e r h a p s

u n de r s t r e s s o f ci r c u m s t a n c e s , b u t ce r t a i n l y w i t h o u t a n y r e ga r d

f o r t h e S o v i e t ' s o w n p r e v i o u s a n n o u n c e m e n t s .

H e r e i t i s : -

On S e p t e m b e r1 7 ,

igi g, in the House of t he Executive Committ ee of

the Soviet at Perm, the Bolshevists brought to t rial twenty-eigh t persons

arreste d on the accusation of having murdered the Tsar and his family .

The f ollowing report of the proceedings is t aken from the Bolshe vist

paper Pravda :-'The Revoluti onary Tribunal has considered th e case of th e murder

of t he late Tsar, Nicholas Romanov, hi s wif e, th e Princess of He sse ,

th ei r daught ers Olga (Tatiana), Marie and Anastasia, and th ei r suite .

In all eleven persons were assassi nate d . Of th e twe nty-eigh t persons

accused th re e were members of t h e Ekat erinburg S ovie t -Grusinov,

Yakh onto v and Maluti n;

among t h e accused were also two women,Maria Apraksina and Elizavet a Mironova . The account of th e mur-

der as gath ered from the material under the consideration of th e Revolu-

ti onary Tribunal is as follows :-'The Tsar and all th e members of hi s e n t o u r a g e w e r e s h o t - n o m o ck -

e r y and no cruelt ie s t ook place . Yak h on t ov admi t t e d t h a t h e h ad

organized th e murder in order to th row the discredit of t he crime on



'WITHOUT TRACE' 103th e S ovie t authorit ie s, whose adversary he be came aft er having j oined

th e Socialist revolutionaries of th e Left Wing. The plan of murderi ng

th e Tsar was conceived during t he latt er's st ay at Tobolsk, but th e

Tsar was too st rictly watche d . In Ekate rinburg, whe n the C zecho-

Slovak troops were approachi ng t h e t own, th e S ovie t authori t i es

were panic-st ricken to such a degree th at it was easy for him to avail

hi mself of h is posit ion as chairman of t he Extraordinary Commission

(for combati ng counte r-revolutio n) and to g ive t he order t o murder

th e Tsar and hi s family . Yakhontov admit t ed t h at h e personally

participate d in th e murder, and th at h e t ook upon hi mself th e respon-

s i b i l i t y f o r i t . He, howe ver, said that h e was not responsible f or the

robbery of th e belongings of t he Tsar's family . According t o hi s de-

position, Tsar Nicholas said before he died, " For th e murder of th e

Tsar Russia will curse th e Bolshevist s ." Grusi nov and Maluti n state d

th at th ey did not know anyth ing about Yakhont ov's plans, and only

carried out hi s orders. Yak h on t o v was f ound gu il t y o f t h e murd er

and sente nced to deat h . Grusi nov, Maluti n, Apraksi na and Miro-

nova were f ound gui lty of robb ery commit te d on th e murdere d mem-

bers of t he Tsar's family. They were sent e nced to deat h too . Thedeath se ntence was carrie d out t he following day .

` Several objects belonging to t he household of t he Tsar were dis-

covered with a thie f named Kiritshevsky, who stated th at th ese thi ngs

had bee n given t o hi m by a man named So rin, who was t he chairman

of th e Local Extraordinary Commissi on . A t t h e t i me of t h e murder

So rin was th e commander of a revoluti onary batt alion . Sori n was a

personal friend of Beloborodov, who also participate d in th e assassina-

tion of the Emperor .'- Rossi a (Paris), No . i, December 17, 1919 . 1

I have carefully compared th e names g iven above with

t h e li s t o f 1 6 4 p e r s o n s m e nt i o n ed i n t h e do s s i e r a s b e i ng i m p l i -

c a t e d o r e v e n s u s p e c t e d o f h a v i n g a c t e d a n y p a r t w h a t s o e v e r

i n t h e t r a g e d y ; I h a v e p e r u s e d t h e c o g n o m e n s o f t h e t w e n t y -

f o u r m e m b e r s o f t h e E k a t e r i n b u r g S o v d e p p r e s i d i u m . There

i s n o t o n e n a m e i n t h e m o c k t r i a l t h a t e v e n r e s e m b l e s a n y

o f t h e m ( o n e c a n n o t p o s s i b l y i d e n t i f y Y a k h o n t o v w i t h Y u r o v -

s k y ) ; t h e v e r y ch a r g e i s f a r c i c a l i f o ne c om p a r e s t h i s r e p o r t

1 This document h as bee n widely quote d by Jewis h organizati ons

to prove that th e murder of th e Tsar was not carried out by th e Bolshe -

vist s, and to dispel th e nation of a ` racial vendet ta .' Apropos ofthis document a London daily stated (August 18, 1920) : 'In

the interest of t ruth i t must be h ere said that t he Moscow Central Soviet

Government has always disclaimed all participation ( s i c ) in t he murder,

explaining t hat i ts i ntenti on was to judge Nicholas II publicly, but

not to do away with hi m secret ly i n a cellar. '



104 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSw i t h t h e t e x t o f t h e o f f i c i a l a n n o u nc e m e n t o f t h e ' e x e c u t i o n . '

Alone Beloborodov's name is familiar . He was nominally

president of the Ural sovdep at the time of the murders .

I e x p l a i n e d h i s r e a l p o s i t i o n - t h a t o f a m e r e h e lo t , a t h i e v i n g

w o r k m a n , k e p t i n o f f i c e t o s e r v e a s a s c r e e n f o r t h e r u l e r s

of Sovietdom . Aft er th e murders h e was 'promote d' t o

t h e T s i k , t h e h i g h e s t h o n o u r o f S o v d e p i a . But they do not

s t a n d o n c e r e m o n y w i t h R u s s i a n k o m i s a r s i n t h e l a n d w h e r e

S v e r d l o v r u l e s , a n d w e r e a d o f h i m i n t h e Pravda a s b e i n g

s t i g m a t i z e d a s ( i ) a t h i e f ' s f r i e nd , a nd ( 2 ) a p a r t y t o t h e v e r y

murder for which he was promoted-the very same appalling

c r i m e t h a t S v e r d l o v h a d o r d a i n e d - t h e s t a i n w h e r e o f h a u n t s

t h e c hi e f t a i n s o f t h e S o v i e t l i k e a N e m e s i s , s o t h a t t h e y u t t e r

t h i n g s w i t h o u t s e n s e .

B e s i d e s , t h e S o v i e t o f Mo s c o w r e c ei v e d a l i o n ' s s h a r e o f t he

l o o t ! B e t w e e n J u l y 2 o a n d 2 2 i t w a s t a k e n f r o m I p a t i e v ' s

h o u s e a n d r e m o v e d t o t h e R e d m e t r o p o l i s . T h e B o l s h e v i s t s

w e r e f l e ei n g b e f o r e t h e a d v a n c e o f t h e S i b e r i a n t r o o p s . Yankel

Y u r o v s k y , e v i d e n t l y i n a h u r r y t o l e a v e E k a t e r i n b u r g , t o o k

f a r e w e l l o f t h e d e a t h - h o u s e o n t h e n i g h t o f t h e 1 9 t h . H i s

d r i v e r t h u s d e s c r i b e s t h e e x o d u s . That nig ht he had by

Y u r o v s k y ' s o r d e r s c a l l e d a t t h e chrezvychaika, and thence

conveyed two young men, one of th em a J e w , t o I p a t i e v ' s

house, where Yankel was waiting . These youths went into

t h e h o u s e a n d b r o u g h t o u t s e v e n p i e c e s o f b a g g a g e , a m o n g

t h e m b e i n g a b l a c k l e a t h e r t r u n k c o v e r e d w i t h s e a l s . Whenh e h a d t a k en h i s s e a t i n t h e v e h i c le , Y u r o v s k y g a v e h i s o r d e r s

t o t h e y o u n g m e n : ` S e t e v e r y t h i n g t o r i g h t s . L e a v e t w e l v e

m e n o n s e n t r y d u t y a n d s e n d t h e r e m a i n d e r t o t h e s t a t i o n . '

T h e g u a r d a t I p a t i e v ' s h o u s e r e m a i n e d t i l l t h e 2 3 r d , b u t

e v e n a f t e r t h a t , o n t h e 2 4 t h a n d 2 5 t h s o m e o f t h e R u s s i a n

e x - w a r d e r s s t i l l v i s i t e d t h e h o u s e . The Wh ite s ente red

Ekaterinburg on the 25th, and occupied the house on the

f o l l o w i n g d a y .



PLATT IV

IPATIEV'S HOUSE INEKATERINBURG

T h i s p h o t o gr a p h w a s t a k e n i n M a y , t g i 8 , d i r e c t l y

a f t e r t h e a r r i v a l o f N i c h o l a s , A l e x a n d r a a n d M a r i e .

T h e i r g a o l e r s h a d h a d t i m e t o p u t u p t h e i n n e r h o a r d -

i n g o n l y . T h e o u t e r h o a r d i n g , e r e c t e d l a t e r , e n c l o s e d

t h e g a t e w a y a n d a p p r o a c h e s t o t h e h ou s e . Machine-

g u n s w e r e m o u n t e d a t d i f f e r e n t p o i n t s w i t h i n t h e e n cl o -

s u r e a n d i n t h e g a r r e t . N o t e t h e s h r i n e o n t h e l e f t ,

THE CHAMBER OF DEATHA v a u l t e d , s e m i - b a s e m e n t , i 8 f e e t b y r 6 f e e t . P h o t o -

graphed from the spot where the German, so-called

` L e t t , ' s o l d i e r s s t o o d w h i l e f i r i n g t h ei r r e v o l v e r s . Th eT s a r a n d h i s s o n s a t i n t h e c e n t r e o f t h e r o o m , a n d

b e h i n d t h e m w a s t h e E m p r e s s , a l s o s e a t e d . T h e o t h e r

v i c t i m s s t o o d a t t he f u r t h er w a l l ,



IPATIEV'S HOUSE

THE CHAMBER OF DEATH

PLATE IV



P L A T E , V I

AT THE GANINA MINEO n t h e l e f t , M r . S y d n ey G i b b es , t h e T s a r e v i c h ' s

t u t o r ; on the right, looking down the shaft, Mr .

Robert Wi lton, The Times C o r r e s p o n d en t ( a u t h o r

o f t h i s n a r r a t i v e ) .

THE PYRE AT THE BIRCH TREEN. A . S okolov, General Domontovich and hi sA.D .C . p o s e a t t h e l i m i t s o f t h e l a r g e r p y r e , w h e r e

most of t he bodies and cloth ing we re cremated .

Alongside stands the tree wit h t he tell - t a l e

i n s c r i p t i o n ,



1 Mv!

11 Av



AT THE GANIN-A MINE

THE PYRE AT THE BIRCH TREE

PLATE VI



CHAPTER XI

`MURDER W ILL OUT'

HVING established, with the evidence of accomplices

a n d o f t h e d e a t h - h o u s e , t h e f a c t t h a t a m u r d e r h a d

b e e n c o m m i t t e d , t h e i n v e s t i g a t i n g m a g i s t r a t e h a d t o f i n d t h e

bodies or to show conclusively what had become of them ;

o t h e r w i s e t h e w h o l e c a s e r e m a i n e d i n d o u b t . T h i s p r o v e d t o

b e a t a s k o f i m m e n s e d i f f i c u l t y .

S u s p i c i o n s o f t h e t r u t h w e r e r i f e f r o m t h e o u t s e t . It was

k n o w n t h a t f i v e m o t o r - l o r r i e s h a d b e e n r e q ui s i t i o n e d ; t h a t a l l

h a d b e e n a b s e n t s e v e r a l d a y s ; t h a t t w o h a d c a r r i e d p e t r o l ,

a n d t h a t o n e h a d r e t u r n e d c o v e r e d w i t h m u d a n d g o r e . Too

m a n y p e r s o n s w e r e i n v o l v e d t o c o n c e a l t h e t r u t h f o r l o n g ;

t h e p e a s a n t s w h o h a d t o c om e b y t h e f o r e s t r o a d f r o m K o p t i a k i

v i l l a g e a t o n c e d e t e c t e d s o m e t h i n g a m i s s , a n d q u i c k l y d r e w

th eir conclusions, which turned out to be correct . But

` s u s p i c i o n s ' a r e n o t p r o o f . . .

* * * *

Somewhere wi thin the purview of t he disused iron-mine

p r o o f ' was obtainable-on that point there seemed to be

n o d o u b t . W e t o o k u p o u r r e s i d e n c e i n t h e w o o d - S o k o l o v ,

D i t e r i c h s , m y s e l f a n d o t h e r s - a n d r e m a i n e d t h e r e t h r o u g h o u t

t h e l a t e s p r i n g a n d ea r l y s u m m e r o f =g i g.e descended the

mine, found water and ice and a floor . We searched the

g r o u n d a n d s c o u r e d t h e w o o d s , l i v i n g f r o m d a y t o d a y i n a l t e r -

n a t e h o p e o r d e s p a i r o f s e t t l i n g t h e g r u e s o m e m y s t e r y . The

w o o d s w e r e f u l l o f d i s u s e d w o r k i n g s , e a c h e a s i l y c a p a b l e o f

c o n c e a l i n g w h a t w e s o u g h t .

1 0 5



i o 6 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSD a y b y d a y w e d i s c o v e r e d f r e s h r e l i c s a r o u n d t h e p i t w h e r e

t h e b o d i e s h a d , w e k n e w , b e e n d e s t r o y e d . S o k o l ov t i r e l e s s l y

p a s s e d t h r o u gh hi s s e a r c h i n g e x a m i n a t i o n ev e r y l i k e ly w i t n e s s ;

n o t a p e a s a n t , o r dachni k ( s u m m e r r e s i d e n t ), o r r a i l w a y s e r -

v a n t t h a t h a d b e e n a n y w h e r e n e a r t h e p l a c e e s c a p e d h i m .

S l o w l y , b u t s u r e l y , t h e s c o p e o f p o s s i b l e e r r o r l e s s e n e d .

We had got well away from the versions carefully sown by

a g e n t s o f Y u r o v s k y , w h o r e m a i n e d i n t h e ci t y , t h a t t h e b o d i e s

h a d b e e n b u r i e d i n o n e p l a c e , t h e n r e - b u r i e d i n a n o t h e r .

* *

O n e o f t h e w i t n e s s e s c i t e d i n t h e p r e l i m i n a r y i n q u i r y ( b e -

f o r e S o k o l o v t o o k c h a r g e ) h a d d e s c r i b e d o v e r h e a r i n g a c o n v e r -

s a t i o n b e t w e e n s e v e r a l B o l s h e v i s t s a b o u t t h e b o d i e s . The

s p e a k er s w e r e s a i d t o b e : Ermakov (whom we know), Mlysh-

kin, Kostuzov, Partin, Krivtsov, and Levatnykh . The y

s p o k e c y n i c a l ly o f f e e l i n g t h e c o r p s e s w h i l e t h e y w e r e s t i l l

warm .L e v a t n y k h b o a s t e d t h a t h e h a d f e l t t h e T s a r i t s a a n d

that he ` could now die in peace . ' They also spoke of

` v a l u a b l es s e w n i n t h e i r c l o t h e s . '

T h e p r e s u m a b l e g e n u i n e n e s s o f t h e s e c on f i d e n ce s m i s l e d t h e

e a r l i e r i n v e s t i g a t o r i n t o b e l i e v i n g t h e i r o t h e r s t a t e m e n t s o r

p e r h a p s t h e a d d i t i o n s m a d e t o t h e m b y t h e s p y , w h o m a y h a v e

been a Red agent-to wit, that the bodies had been buried

i n v a r i o u s p l a c e s r o u n d t h e c i t y . T h i s w a s a ' r e d ' h e r r i n g

t h a t u n f o r t u na t e l y d r e w t h e i n v e s t i g a t o r o f f a h o t t r a i l . H e

d i d n o t e v e n g o n e a r t h e w o o d . H a d h e d o n e s o , h e c o u l d n o t

h a v e h e l p e d d i s c o v e r i n g e a s i l y t h e n w h a t w e h a d s u c h d i f f i -

c u l t y i n f i n d i n g a y e a r l a t e r . H i s e x c u s e h a d b e e n t h a t t h e

wood was 'dangerous' on account of Red bands ; b u t e v e n

i f t h i s w e r e s o , he c ou l d h a v e d ep u t e d a l es s t i m o r o u s p e r s o n .

A n u m b e r o f s e l f - a p p o i n t e d ' i n v e s t i g a t o r s ' t o o k t h i s o p p o r -

t u n i t y o f ` g l e a n i n g ' r e l i c s - p e r h a p s i n v a l u a b l e c l u e s .

* * * * *

E x t r e m e m e a s u r e s h a d t o b e t a k e n , n o t h i n g l e s s t h a n t h e



N.W. ENVIRONS OF EKATERINBURGShowi ng t he Road by which th e bodie s were

carrie d and pit wh ere t he ashe s were buried .

DIS TANCES EKA TERI NBURG t o PIT = 11 MILES

PIT to KOPTIAKI = 3 MILE S



i o 8 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSc o m p l e t e s i f t i n g of t h e g r o u n d w i t h i n t h e a r e a o f d e s t r u c t i o n

a n d e m p t y i n g o f t h e s h a f t s d o w n w h i c h a n y r e m a i n s c o u l d h a v e

been thrown . T h i s w a s a t a s k o u t s i d e t he p r o v i n c e of a n i n -

v e s t i g a t i n g m a g i s t r a t e . H e r e w e w a n t e d m i n e r s w i t h p u m p i n g

machinery, woodsmen and surveyors ; above all we wanted

money .

Thanks to Admiral Koltchak the wh erewi thal was forth-

coming . I n d e e d , I r e n d e r h i m b a r e j u s t i c e i n s a y i n g t h a t

w i t h o u t h i s s t a n c h p e r s o n a l s u p p o r t t h e i n v e s t i g a t i o n w o u l d

have been overwhelmed long ago by the constant intrigues

of th e Omsk Government . H e g a v e t h e m o n e y o u t o f h i s o w n

f u n d s , b e ca u s e t h e gr a n t l e g a l l y a u t h o r i z e d b y h i m w a s ` h e l d

u p ' b y h i s M i n i s t e r s .

U n d e r t h e o r d e r s a n d s u p e r v i s i o n o f G e n e r a l D i t e r i c h s , a

commando of Wh ite Guards was formed to carry out t he

n e ce s s a r y o p e r a t i o n s . T h e m e n w e r e a l l f r o m t h e U r a l s - i . e . ,

m i n e r s a n d p e a s a n t s v e r s e d i n w o o d c r a f t . Several hundreds

of them camped around th e Ganina Yama (ditch), situated

n e a r a b e n d i n t h e r o a d t o K op t i a k i , n o t a h un d r e d p a c e s f r o m

t h e m i n e . These men knew what they were working for and

p u t t h e i r s h o ul d er t o t h e w h e e l i n a l l e a r n es t n e s s .

B u t w e h a d t o l e a v e b e f o r e c o m p l e t e s u c c e s s h a d c r o w n e d

t h e i r e f f o r t s . Diterichs received th e summons to save the

a r m i e s . I went with him . General Domontovich, a very

g a l l a n t s o l d i e r , t oo k c om m a n d i n hi s p l a c e . ( H e d i e d of t y p h u s

d u r i n g t h e r e t r e a t a n d w a s b u r i e d i n C h i t a e a r l y t h i s y e a r ,

` T s a r s t v i e n e be s n o i e . ' )

S u c c e s s c a m e b e f o r e w e h a d t o e v a c u a t e E k a t e r i n b u r g . The

c o nt e n t s o f t h e s h a f t , e x t r a c t e d w i t h i n f i n i t e t r o u b l e, s e t a t

r e s t f o r e v e r a n y l i n g e r i n g do u bt a s t o t h e d e s t r u c t i o n o f t h e

b o d i e s . S o k o l o v h a d h i s ` p r o o f . '

* * * * *

H e r e i s t h e na r r a t i v e o f t h e i nv e s t i g a t i o n . I t i s a g o o d c o m -

m e n t a r y o n t h e h o m e l y s a y i n g , ` M u r d e r w i l l o u t . '



MURDER WILL OUT' l o g

I t w i l l b e r e m e m b e r e d t h a t E r m a k o v w e n t w i t h t h e b o d i e s

from the death-house . Now Ermakov lived at th e V erkh-

I s e t s k I r o n w o r k s , a d j o i n i n g t h e c i t y a n d s i t u a t e d a l o n g t h e

route to Koptiaki-i . e . , n o r t h - e a s t o f E k a t e r i n b u r g . Th e

S t e n b o k - F e r m o r W o o d l i e s a f e w m i l e s b e y o n d . A t t h e w o r k s

E r m a k o v f o u n d a d e t a c h m e n t o f h i s R e d G u a r d s ( h e w a s m i l i -

t a r y komisay) a n d a n u m b e r o f c o n v e y a n c e s r e a d y h a r n e s s e d .

The whole procession moved off along th e Koptiaki road .

T h e r e i s , i n d e e d, n o o t h e r r o a d i n t h e v i c i n i t y p r a c t i c a b l e f o r

a m o t o r - l o r r y . Vaganov, th e other regicide, mounted his

h o r s e a n d a c t e d a s a r m e d e s c o r t f o r t h e l o r r y .

S h o r t l y a f t e r t h r e e o ' c l oc k i n t h e m o r n i n g ( s o l a r t i m e ) t h ey

r e a c h ed t h a t p l a c e w h e r e s e v e r a l p a t h s , lo n g d i s u s e d a n d g r a s s -

g r o w n , t u r n o f f t o t h e l e f t t o w a r d s G a n i n a Y a m a . H e r e t h e y

forced a way through th e undergrowth, and at one place

n e a r l y up s e t t h e l or r y i n t o a d i t c h . T h e m a r k o f t h e w h e e l s

w a s s t i l l v i s i b l e a y ea r l a t e r , a n d a l on gs i d e la y t h e b e a m w h i c h

h a d b e e n b r o u g ht f r o m t h e d i s u s e d m i n e t o j a c k u p t h e c a n t e d

l o r r y .

A r o u n d t h e s h a f t s i n t h i s p a r t i c u l a r p l a c e t h e g r a s s t h e n

showed no trace of human passage . K o p t i a k i v i l l a g e r s d i d

n ot c o m e t h a t w a y a s a r u l e . T h e p l a c e h a d b e e n w e l l s e l e ct e d .

B u t t h e m u r d e r e r s f o r g ot t h e h a b i t s o f t h e p e a s a n t , e s p e c i a l l y

o f t h e h a y m a k e r s a n d f i s h e r f o l k .

* *

N a s t a s i a Z . l e f t t h e v i l la g e a t d a w n w i t h h e r s o n a n d da u g h-

t e r - i n - l a w . T h e y a p p r o a c h e d t h e g r u e s o m e p r o c e s s i o n j u s t a s

i t w a s t u r n i n g of f t h e r o a d . Two horsemen rode up to th em .

O n e w o r e a s a i l o r ' s u n i f o r m . Nasti a knew him . He was a

Verkh-Ise tsk resident-Vaganov . The latter yelled out

`Turn back ! ' a n d c o m i n g a b r e a s t o f t h e p e a s a n t c a r t b r a n -

d i s h e d a r e v o l v e r a t Na s t i a ' s h e a d . F r i g h t e n e d , t h e p e a s a n t

w o m a n p u l l ed h e r h o r s e r o u nd s o s h a r p l y t h a t t h e c a r t a l m o s t

u p s e t . V a g a n o v r o d e a l o ng s i d e , s t i l l p o i n t i n g h i s w e a p o n a n d



r i o THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSs h o ut i n g , ' D o n ' t l o ok r o u n d , o r I s h o ot . . . . ' A f t e r c h a s i n g

t h e m a b o u t a m i l e t o w a r d s t h e v i l l a g e , V a g a n o v r o d e b a c k .

T h e p e a s a n t s h a d n o t b e en a b l e i n t h e f a i n t l i g h t t o m a k e o u t

c l e a r l y w h a t w a s b e h i n d V a g a n o v . ` S o m e t h i n g l o n g a n d g r e y ,

l i k e a h e a p , ' w a s a l l t h a t t h e y c o ul d d i s t i n g u i s h . Th e baba

( p e a s a n t w o m a n ) c o n c l u d e d t h a t i t w a s t h e R e d G u a r d a r m y

m a r c h i n g t o K o p t i a k i . U r g i n g h e r h o r s e o n w a r d , s h e i m m e d i -

a t e l y r o u s e d t h e w h o le v i l l a g e , i n f or m i n g t h e muzhi ks t h a t t h e

'army' was coming `wi th transport and artillery .' They

l i s t e n e d i n c o n s t e r n a t i o n , a l a r m e d ch i e f l y f or t h e i r h a y c r o p .

A n a r m y c o m i n g m e a n t f i g h t i n g i n t h e n e i g h bo u r h o o d , a n d h e r e

i t w a s j u s t t h e t i m e f o r m o w i n g . T h e h a y m i g h t a l l b e l o s t .

T h e y d i s c u s s e d t he m a t t e r l o n g a nd p a s s i o n a t e ly : then some

o f t h e b o l d e s t a m o n g t h e m , h e a d e d b y a n o l d s o l d i e r , s e t o f f

t o i n v e s t i g a t e . O n t h e r o a d t h e y e n c o u n t e r e d s o m e A u s t r i a n

war prisoners who were haymaking, and asked if th ey had

seen the army . T h e y r e p l i e d t h a t q u i t e e a r l y , w h i l e t h e y

w e r e w o r k i n g o n t h e r o a d , s o m e R u s s i a n C o s s a c k s h a d r i d d e n

up and driven them away . T h e v i l l a ge r s b e ca m e a l l t h e m o r e

c u r i o u s t o k n o w w h a t i t a l l m e a n t .

P r e s e n t l y , a s t h e y c a m e a b r e a s t o f t h e m i n e , t h e y h e a r d

h o r s e s n e i g h i n g . C o m i n g t o o n e o f t h e t ur n i n g s t h e y s a w t h a t

t h e g r a s s h a d a l l b e e n c r u s h e d a n d t h e s a p l i n g s b e n t . The y

w e r e o n t h e p o i n t o f f o ll o w i n g t h i s s t r a n g e t r a i l w h e n o ut o f

t h e w o o d a p p e a r e d a h o r s e m a n a r m e d w i t h s w o r d , r e v o l v e r ,

rifle and hand grenades, and asked th em what th ey were

d o i n g . The muzhiks put on a bold face, although badly

f r i g h t e n e d, a n d a s k e d i f t h e t o v a r i s h c h ( c o m r a d e ) w o u l d k i n d l y

r e a s s u r e t h e m , b e c a u s e t h e w h o l e v i l l a g e w a s i n a s t a t e o f

e x c i t e m e n t .

T h e y w e r e g r a c i o u s l y i n f o r m e d t h a t t h e r e w a s n o c a u s e f o r

alarm . ` O u r f r o n t h a s b e e n e n t e r e d a t s e v e r a l p o i n t s . Wea r e m e r e l y s c o u t i n g a n d p r a c t i s i n g . D o n o t b e a f r a i d i f

y o u h ea r f i r i n g ! ' T h e y h a d a f r i e n d l y s m o k e t o g e t h e r a n d



MURDER WILL OUT' I I I

t h e n t h e m u z h i k s d e p a r t e d . They had scarcely gone when a

r e p o r t l i k e t h e e x p l o s i o n o f a h a n d g r e n a d e w a s h e a r d , a n d

t h e n a s h o r t w h i l e a f t e r w a r d s a n o t h e r e x p l o s i o n . S o o n a f t e r

t h e i r r e t u r n t o t h e v i l l a g e t h e s a m e h o r s e m a n a p p e a r e d , ' t o

t r a n q u i l l i z e t h e m a l l , ' a s h e e x p l a i n e d .

They were reassured about the haymaking, but now arose

a n o t h e r m a t t e r . M a n y o f t h e v i l l a g e r s f i s h e d i n t h e l a r g e

I s e t s k l a k e , w h i c h s p r e a d s i t s l o v e l y w a t e r s i n f r o n t o f

K o p t i a k i . They had obtained a good haul that nigh t and

m u s t t a k e i t i n t o t h e c i t y - i t w a s m a r k e t d a y ( W e d n e s d a y ) -

a n d i n t h e h ot w e a t h e r f i s h d o e s n o t k e e p . B u t t h e ` R u s s i a n

C o s s a c k s ' w e r e i n e x o r a b l e .

* * * *

O n t h e c i t y s i d e t h e r e w a s a c r o w d a t t h e l e v e l c r o s s i n g

o v e r t h e U r a l l i n e s t r i v i n g t o g e t t o K o p t i a k i , w h i c h b ei n g a

p r e t t y p l a c e a t t r a c t e d m a n y s u m m e r r e s i d e n t s . T h e s e u n f o r -

t u n a t e s , t h u s ` s t r a n d ed , ' w a i t e d f o r h ou r s a n d h o u r s i n v a i n .

S o m e o f t h e r a i l w a y s e r v a n t s w e r e a c c o m m o d a t e d w i t h ` b e n -

z i n e ' f r o m t h e c a s k s o f p e t r ol w a i t i n g i n r e s e r v e . The stream

o f f i s h e r - f o l k a n d t h e p r o c e s s i o n o f d a c h 4 i k s c o m i n g a n d g o i n g

e n a b l e d t h e i n v e s t i g a t i o n t o d e f i n e v e r y p r e c i s e l y t h e ex a c t

l i m i t s o f t h e c o r d o n p l a c e d r o u n d t h e w o o d . I t p o i n t e d i n

one direction-Ganina Yama . That was the locality that

h a d t o b e k e p t f r o m p r y i n g e y e s .

T h e p e a s a n t s w e r e a l s o t h e fi r s t t o d i s c o v e r t h e p l a c e w h e r e

t h e b o d i e s w e r e d e s t r o y e d . T h e i r e v i d e n c e a f f o r d e d i m m e n s e ,

i n v a l u a b l e s e r v i c e t o t h e i n v e s t i g a t i o n ; i n f a c t , w i t h o u t

t h e m t h e t r u t h m i g h t n e v e r h a v e b e e n e s t a b l i s h e d o w i n g t o

t h e ea r l i e r m i s t a k e s o f t h e i n q ui r y .

* * * * *

A s s o o n a s t h e c o r d o n w a s r a i s e d , s o m e o f t h e K op t i a k i m e n

h a s t e n e d t o t h e s p o t w h e r e t h e h o r s e s h a d n e i g h e d a n d t h e

d e t o n a t i o n s h a d b e e n h e a r d . T h e y h a d t h o u g h t t h a t t h e R e d

Guards were burying arms . T h e a s h e s a r o u n d t h e p i t s u g -



112 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSg e s t e d s o m e t h i n g e l s e . T h e y s t a r t e d t o s c r a p e ; soon they

f o u nd a c r o s s b e l on g i n g t o t he E m p r e s s a n d t h e b r a s s b u ck l e o f

t h e T s a r e v i c h ' s b e lt . Some instinct prompted them t o jump

t o t h e co n cl u s i o n t h a t i t w a s ' t h e T s a r ' s , ' a l t h o u gh t h ey k n e w

n o t h i n g o f t h e m u r d e r .

T h e r e w e r e e i g h t o f t h e m u z h i k s standing round the pit

e x a m i n i n g w i t h a w e t h e f i n d s t h a t t h e y h a d m a d e . ` B o y s , '

s a i d o n e , a n d h e v o i c e d t h e s e c r e t t h o u g ht o f a l l , ` i t i s j u s t

t h i s , t h e y h a v e b e e n b u r n i n g N i c h o l a s h e r e . T h a t c r o s s c a n

b e l o n g o n l y t o h i m . A n d t h a t b u c k l e, I t e l l y ou , i s t h e T s a r e -

v i c h ' s . ' T h e y c r o s s e d t h e m s e l v e s i n p r a y e r a n d s i l e n t l y c a m e

away . N e e d l e s s t o s a y , t h e s e h o n e s t s o u l s p r o m p t l y h a n d e d

o v e r t h e r e l i c s t o t h e W h i t e a u t h or i t i e s .

O n m y f i r s t v i s i t t o t h e b u r n i n g - m o u n d , I w a s a t t r a c t e d b y

a n i n s c r i p t i o n c a r v e d o n t h e g i a n t b i r c h t h a t o v e r h a n g s o n e

p y r e . I t r e a d : 'T . A . F e s e n k o , ' a n d t h e d a t e ` J u l y i i ,

i g r 8 , ' i . e . , s i x d a y s b e f o r e t h e m u r d e r . A young man sat

b e s i d e t he t r e e . H e w a s a s t r a n g e r t o m e . I t o o k h i m t o b e

o n e of S o k o l ov ' s a g e n t s , e s p e c i a l l y a s o u t s i d e r s w e r e n ot e n c ou r -

a g e d t o h o v e r r o u n d t h e i r o n - p i t s . I w a s l o o k i n g c l o s e l y a t

t h e g r o u n d t o n o t e w h e r e t h e b o d i e s h a d b e e n b u r n e d a n d p i c k

u p a n y r e m a i n i n g c l u e s .

T h e s t r a n g e r e x c l a i m e d : ` You will have to look very

hard ! ' I t h o u g h t t h i s w a s a s t r a n g e r e m a r k ; t h e s i n g e d a nd

s c o r c h e d a p p e a r a n c e o f t h e g r o u n d w a s , i n d e e d , v e r y n o t i c e -

a b l e s t i l l , a l t h o ug h n ea r l y a y e a r h a d p a s s e d . B u t I e n c o u r -

a g e d t h e c o n v e r s a t i o n , s u s p e c t i n g a s u r p r i s e . T h e s t r a n g e r

p r o c e ed e d t o g i v e i n r a t h e r e x c i t e d t o ne s h i s c o n v i c t i o n t h a t

t h e s t o r y o f t h e b o n fi r e s a n d t h e bu r n i n g o f t h e b o di e s w a s a l l

a myth . ` S e e f o r y o u r s e l f ! H o w c o u l d t h e y h a v e d e s t r o y e d

a l l t h o s e b o d i e s a n d l e f t s o f e w c i n d e r s ! ' h e i n s i s t e d .

O f c o u r s e I d i d n o t e n l i g h t e n h i m a s t o t h e p e t r o l a n d

s u l p h u r i c a c i d - w h i c h s o p o w e r f u l l y a i d e d t h e w o r k o f c r e -



`MURDER WILL OUT' i i i

m a t i o n - o r t h e p r o b a b l e s c a t t e r i n g o f t h e a s h e s a r o u n d a n d

d o w n t h e p i t . I w e n t s t r a i g h t t o S o k o l o v , w h o w a s n o t f a r

away, and told him what the young man had said . `That

must be Fesenko,' was his remark . We walked up to t he

p l a c e . T h e s t r a n g e r h a d r e s u m e d h i s s e a t b e s i d e t h e b i r c h

a n d a p p e a r e d t o b e s u f f e r i n g . S o k o l o v c o n t i n u e d : `Yes,

t h a t ' s t h e m a n . ' H e b r o u g h t Y u r o v s k y t o t h i s p l a c e . He is

j u s t a y o u ng f o ol o f a B o l s h e v i s t . Yurovsky took him because

h e w a s i n c h a r g e o f t h i s w o o d, a n d he w a s s o p r o u d o f e s c o r t i n g

a k o m i s a r t h a t h e r e c o r d e d t h e v i s i t b y c a r v i n g h i s n a m e a n d

d a t e o n t h e t r e e .

` W h y t h e n i s h e a t l a r g e ? ' I q u e r i e d .

` W e l l , t h e f a c t i s , w e h o p e h e m a y g i v e h i m s e l f o r s o m e o f

the murderers away . We arrested him and let him go . H e

h a u n t s t h i s p l a c e , a n d i s e v e r t r y i n g t o p r o v e t h a t n o t h i n g

c o u l d h a v e h a p p e n e d h e r e ! ' I f e l t r a t h e r s o r r y f o r t h e p o o r

wretch . P e r h a p s h e h a d n o t s u s p e c t e d Y u r o v s k y ' s p u r p o s e .

Y u r o v s k y d i d n o t c o n f i d e s u c h s e c r e t s . At a l l e v e n t s I g a v e

h i m t h e b e n e f i t o f t h e d ou b t , f e e l i n g s u r e t h a t t h e r e w o u l d b e

n o p e a c e f o r h i s t o r t u r e d m i n d i n t h i s l i f e .

But Sokolov dispelled my sympathy : ` T h e f a c t i s , h e

t o u c h e s a s o r e p o i n t . Where are the cinders? That is the

q u e s t i o n . We have f ound too f ew . They must be hidden

somewh ere . N o w F e s e n k o c o u l d n o t p o s s i b l y h a v e d i s c o v e r e d

t h i s w e a k p o i n t i n o u r a r m o u r h i m s e l f . H e h a s p r o b a b l y b e e n

p u t u p t o i t b y t h e m u r d e r er s o r t h ei r s p i e s . T h a t i s w h y w e

l e t h i m w a n d e r a b o u t . ' H o w e v e r , F e s e n k o d i d n o t g i v e a w a y

h i m s e l f o r h i s a s s o c i a t es .

* * * *

N o t a h u n d r e d p a c e s a w a y f r o m t h e p y r e s I n o t i c e d a l i t t l e

c l e a r i n g w i t h a c o m f o r t a b l e t r e e - s t u m p . H e r e o n e c o u l d s i t

q u i e t ly , u ns e e n by t h e p e o p l e a t t h e p i t ' s m o u t h . A p l e a s a n t

b i r c h a n d p i n e g r o v e s t r e t c h e d i t s f r a g r a n t , s o n o r o u s m a z e

b e t w e e n t h i s n a t u r a l a r b o u r a n d t h e s c e n e o f g r i s l y h o r r o r .

H



114 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSHere on thi s stump Yurovsky had sat while h is henchmen

p e r f o r m e d t h e l a s t a c t i n t h e t r a g e d y . B e s i d e t h i s s e a t w e

f o u n d ( a y e a r l a t e r ) e g g- s h e l l s - t h e r e m a i n s o f t h e f i f t y e g g s

o r d e r e d by Y u r o v s k y f r o m t h e n u n s , o s t e n s i b l y f o r t h e R o m a n -

o v s . B u t t h i s f a r e h a d n o t s u f f i c e d f o r t h e d a i n t y k o m i s a r .

T h e r e w e r e a l s o c h i c k e n - b o n e s . T h e r e w e r e a l s o t o r n p a g e s

f r o m a t r e a t i s e o n a n a t o m y i n G e r m a n ( Y u r o v s k y w a s o n l y a

f e l c h e y ; h e k n e w l i t t l e a b o u t a n a t o m y ) . A n d i n o r d e r t h a t

t h e r e s h o u l d b e no d o u bt a s t o t h e o r i g i n o f t h e s e v a r i o u s c l u es ,

i t s o h a p p e n e d t h a t Y u r o v s k y l e f t b e h i n d a n e w s p a p e r p u b -

l i s h e d i n G e r m a n a t t h e v e r y p e r i o d u n d e r d i s c u s s i o n , f u l l

o f a b u s e o f t h e C z e c h s , a c c u s i n g t h e m o f s e r v i l e s u b s e r v i e n cy

to t he Entente High Command, and treating t he war as a

s l a u g ht e r a r r a n g e d i n t h e i n t e r e s t o f c a p i t a l .

R e f e r e n c e h a s b e e n m a d e i n p r e c e d i n g c h a p t e r s t o t h e m a n -

n e r i n w h i c h t h e G r a n d D u c h e s s e s h a d c o n ce a l e d t h e i r j e w e l s .

T w o o f t h e i r c o n fi d e n t i a l s e r v i t o r s , M ll e s . T u t e l b er g a n d E r z -

b e r g , c a m e t o o u r c a m p i n t h e w o o d s t o i d e n t i f y t h e r e l i c s .

T h e y ha d s e w n u p t h e b od i c e s , b u t t o n s , h a t s , a n d o t h e r r e c e p -

t a c l e s , a n d k n e w p r e c i s e l y w h a t j e w e l s w e r e o n t h e p e r s o n s o f

t h e v i c t i m s w h e n t h e m u r d e r t o o k p l a c e , i t b e i n g o b v i o u s t h a t

d u r i n g t h ei r r e s i d e n ce i n I p a t i e v ' s h o u s e n o n e o f t h e p r i s o n er s

w o u l d v e n t u r e t o u nd o o r c h a ng e t h es e r e c e p t a c l e s , a s t h e y w e r e

u n d e r c o n s t a n t o b s e r v a t i o n . The Grand Duchesse s Olga,

Tatiana and Anastasia each wore double-quilted bodices

s t u f f e d w i t h j e w e l s w e i g h i n g s e v e r a l p o u n d s . O l g a c a r r i e d a

s a t c h e l r o u n d h e r n ec k w i t h s o m e s p e c i a l g e m s a n d w o r e s e v e r a l

r o p e s o f p e a r l s c o nc e a le d a c r o s s h e r s h o u l de r s . The manner

i n w h i c h t h e c o n c e a l m e n t h a d b e e n e f f e c t e d m i s l e d t h e f i r s t

s u p e r f i c i a l s e a r c h o f t h e b od i e s i n t h e h o us e .

* * * * *

W e n o w t r a c e t h e g r u e s o m e p i c t u r e o f t h e c u t t i n g u p a n d

d e s t r u c t i o n o f t h e b o d i e s . F i r s t o f a l l t h e c lo t h e s w e r e p a r t l y



'MURDER WILL OUT' 115removed . T h e b o d i c e s a t o n c e a r o u s e d a t t e n t i o n o w i n g t o

t h e i r w e i g h t . The ' gh ouls' be gan to te ar th em apart .

T h e i r c o n t e n t s w e r e s p i l l e d o n t o t h e g r o u n d , a n d s o m e o f

t h e t h i n gs r o l le d i n t o t h e gr a s s o r w e r e t r o d d en i n t o t h e s o i l

o f t h e m o u n d .

B u t t h e y d i d n o t t r o u b l e t o d e n ud e t h e c o r p s e s c o m p l e t e l y ,

and began hacking them in pieces on th e clay mound that

s u r r o u n d e d t h e p i t ' s m o u t h , s m i t i n g a n d s e v e r i n g a t t h e s a m e

t i m e s o m e o f t h e v a l u a b l e s t h a t s t i l l r e m a i n e d . T h e l a r g e

d i a m o n d s , w h i c h h a d b e e n c a m o u f l a g e d a s b u t t o n s , h a v e d i s -

a p p e a r e d w i t h t h e e x c e p t i o n o f o n e . They may have be e n

b u r n e d w i t h t h e c l o t h e s o f t h e G r a n d D u c h e s s e s o r h a v e b e e n

l o o t e d . One was found trampled into t he clay beside the

pyre. Here also was found the Empress's emerald pectoral

c r o s s . S o m e o f t h e b u l l e t s d r o p p e d o u t o f t h e b o d i e s d u r i n g

t h e c h o p p i n g , o t h er s w h i l e t h e l i m b s w e r e i n t h e f l a m e s .

T w o p y r e s w e r e u s e d - o n e n e a r t h e s h a f t , t h e o t h e r n ea r t h e

b i r c h t r e e . A f t e r t h e c r e m a t i o n h a d b e e n c o m p l e t e d t h e c i n -

d e r s o f b o t h p y r e s w e r e c o l l e c t e d a n d t h r o w n d o w n t h e s h a f t

o f t h e m i n e , w h i c h h a d b ee n p r e v i o u s l y p r e p a r e d . I c e r e m a i n s

t h r o u g h o u t t h e s u m m e r i n d e e p w o r k i n g s l i k e t h i s o n e . I t

had been tested by means of hand grenades, and had then

b e e n s m a s h e d i n o r d e r t h a t t h e c i n d e r s , e t c . , s h ou ld s i n k t o

t h e b o t t o m o f t h e w a t e r . Over th em a flooring h ad been

a d j u s t e d a n d a n c h o r e d .

I n n u m e r a b l e w i t n e s s e s s a w t h e c o m i n g a n d t h e g o i n g o f t h e

l o r r i e s . T h e ' g h o u l s ' r e m a i n e d i n t h e w o o d t i l l t h e i r t a s k

was done . T h e i r s h e l t e r s a n d c a m p s w e r e d i s c o v e r e d . The y

w e r e s e e n l e a v i n g - r o l l i n g a b o u t i n t h e l o r r y , l i k e m e n t i r e d

t o d e a t h .

T h e f l o or i n g h a d d e c e i v e d a l l s e a r c h i n t h e m i n e . Only wh en

t h e o p e r a t i o n s t h a t I h a v e d e s c r i b e d a b o v e h a d b r o u g h t a l l

t h e c or e o f t h e s h a f t t o t h e s u r f a c e ev e r y t h i n g w a s e x p l a i n e d .

T h e c or p s e o f l i t t l e J e m m y l a y j u s t u n de r t h e f a l s e f l o o r . I t



xi6 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVShad been preserved by the ice . Wh en good Domonto vich

m a d e t h i s d i s c o v e r y he i m m e d i a t e l y t e l e g r a p h e d t o u s . Wea l l r e a l i z e d t h a t t h e m y s t e r y o f t h e bo d i e s h a d b e e n s o l v e d .

T h e r e w e r e l i t e r a l l y h u n dr e d s o f c l u e s n o w a v a i l a b l e . S o k o l o v

b u s i e d h i m s e l f c l a s s i f y i n g a n d i d en t i f y i n g t h em . I t w o u l d b e

q u i t e i m p o s s i b l e t o e n u m e r a t e t h e m a l l . S e v e r a l v o l u m e s o f

t h e d o s s i e r a r e d e v o t e d t o i t . There are t he proces-veybaux

o f e a c h ` f i n d ' a n d e a c h i d e n t i f i c a t i o n . I g i v e h e r e a b r i e f

b u t a c c u r a t e s u m m a r y o f t h e c l u e s : -

( z ) A large diamond of t h e f i n e s t water, i d e n t i f i e d as forming a

pendant to a necklace belonging to th e Empress, valued at 20,000gold roubles ; sligh tly touche d by fi re .

( 2) An emerald cross be longing t o Alexandra, identif ie d as a prese nt

from the Empress Marie, found by experts to b e of hi gh workmanshi p,

valued at 2,000 gold roubles ; broken and singe d .

( 3 ) A pearl earring untouche d, having bee n thrown wit h so me earth

down the shaft , recognized as one of a pair always worn by th e Empress,

declared t o be ext remely fi ne wo rkmanshi p, valued at 3,000 gold

roubles .

(4) Four fragments o f a large pearl and set ti ngs, declared to be a pair

to ( 3 ) .

( , 5 ) Two fragments o f e merald declared by experts t o have fo rmed

part of a large and very f ine st one, severed by some h ard and he avy

obj ect and trampled .

(6) Eleven fragments of emerald .

(7) Thi rte en round pearls, all of h ig h qualit y, as belong i ng to

one rope .

(8) Five fragments of pearl, as belonging to one large gem of finest

orie nt, severed by a he avy wei gh t or trampling .

(9) Anoth er broken pearl of hi gh quality .

(ro) Two fi ne brilliants, declared t o have formed part o f an orna-

ment of large size .

(ii) Porti on of a large diamond silver-mounted ornament, be aring

traces of he avy blows .

(i 2 to 21) Precious stone s-diamonds, sapphi res, rubie s, almandine

and to pazes-and set ti ngs, all bearing marks, as experts show, of

having be en crushed or severed by heavy or cutt ing o bje cts .

(2 2 to 28) Arti cles and appurte nances of apparel, including piece s

of cloth i denti fi ed as parts of th e Empress's skirt, th e Tsarevich's

milit ary overcoat and Botki n's overcoat ; six sets of corset st eels

(the Empress would not permit he r daugh te rs or the servants to g o



`MURDER WILL OUT' 117wit hout corsets, neit he r would she he rself ; D e midova wore t h em also-

th at would make e xactly six) ; metallic parts of corset suspenders and

fragments of si lk and elasti c ; th e Tsarevich's belt buckle ; th e Tsar's

belt buckle, both i denti fi ed ; th ree paste shoe buckles of f irst-class

workmanship, one identi fi ed as th e Empress's, two as belonging t o th e

G rand Duch e s s e s ; a large number of butt ons, hooks and eye s, etc . ,

some identi fi ed as belonging to t he Empress's dress, also military but-

tons corresponding wi th th e unif orms and caps of t he Tsar and Tsare-

vich, as made for th em by th e court tailor in Petrog rad . The appur-

te nances of fe male costume were such as th e court dressmaker used for

the family . There were also parts of apparel such as were used by

th e t ailor who dressed th e court se rvants . The f oot g ear remnants

showe d strong action by fi re . Experts were able, howe ver, to note

th at th ey included cork and fi ne brass screws, bot h evidences of h ig h-

class articles . In th ei r opinion the remnants mig ht well represent

seven pairs of boot s .

(29 to 41) Exhi bit s of equal if not greate r interest . Among themmay be ci t ed : A pocket -case in whi ch th e Tsar always carrie d hi s

wife 's portrait ; th ree small ikons worn by th e Grand Duche sse s, having

in each case th e face of t he saint destroyed as if blows had bee n aimed

a t t h e m ; th e Empress's j ubilee badge of h er Lancer regiment ; t h e

gold frame of Botki n's eye-g lasses ; a large spectacle g lass such as th e

Empress wo re at Tobolsk ; remnants of th e Tsarevich's h aversack, in

which he was accustomed to kee p his treasures ; several bott les as

used for smelling salts, always carried by th e Grand Duches se s, and

finally a varied assortment of nails, ti nfoil, copper coins, e t c ., which

vastly puzzled Soko lov ti ll somebody, I th ink Mr . Gib bes , reminded

hi m that Alexis was fond of collecti ng odds and ends, bei ng of a very

saving disposition, like hi s fathe r .

The n came a number of specially important re lics . First, a serie s

of Nagan bullet s, some e ntire but be aring t he marks of th e rif ling,

some wit hout t he lead core, some in th e sh ape of blobs of molten lead,

sti ll unmist akable . Se condly, in th e sh aft i tse lf, a human finge r,

two piece s of human ski n, and in t he clay of t he mound many frag-

ments of chopped and sawed human bones, whi ch could sti ll be certi -

fie d although t hey had been subjected to the action of fire and perhaps

of acid. Experts found that t he ski n was from a human hand . Thefi nger i s describe d as be longi ng t o a woman of middle age . I t i s l o n g,

slender, and well-shaped, like th e Empress 's h and .

Near the sh aft was found a set of artificial teet h (upper j aw wit h

plate), identi fi ed as Dr. Botkin's . The front t e e t h we re dee ply en-

cruste d with mire, as if th e body had be en dragg ed face downwards

and thereby the teet h, catching in th e h ard clay soil, had dragge d the

plate o ut of th e dead man's mouth .

W h e n t h e f i r s t i n s p e c t i o n o f t h e d e a t h - h o u s e w a s m a d e -

t e n d a y s a f t e r t h e m u r d e r - i t b o r e a l l t h e t r a c e s o f h a v i n g b e e n



118 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSp l u n d e r e d b y p e o p l e w h o h a d f i r s t s l a u g h t e r e d t h e o w n e r s .

T h e r e a d er w i l l b e a bl e t o p i c t u r e i t , b u t hi s i m a g i n a t i o n w i l l

n o t c o m e u p t o t h e r e a l i t y . A m i d s t t h i s s c e ne o f p i l l a g e a n d

c o n f u s i o n o n e f e l t t h a t a c a r e f u l h a n d h a d d e s t r o y e d e v e r y -

t h i n g t h a t c o u ld h el p t h e i n v e s t i g a t i o n ; n e v e r t h e le s s , h i g h l y -

i m p o r t a n t c l u e s c a m e t o li g h t , a m o n g t h e m a f u l l l i s t o f t h e

Red Guards who had acted as gaolers, the Tsar's private

c y p h e r w h i c h h e h a d h i d d e n a w a y - a s i f e x p e c t i n g t o b e a b l e

t o r e c l a i m i t s o m e d a y .

** *

* *

I n t h e d e a t h - c h a m b e r t h e r e w a s a c u r i o u s i n s c r i p t i o n i n

German, written by a man of some culture-not Yurovsky,

t h e r e f o r e , b u t p e r h a p s o n e o f t h e t w o m e n f r o m t h e Ch rezvy-

chaika w h o m h e h a d l e f t i n c h a r g e o f t h e h o u s e o n h i s d e p a r -

t u r e . I t w a s a n a d a p t a t i o n o f H e i n e ' s l i n e s o n t h e f a t e o f

B e l s h a z z a r : -

B e l s a t z a r w a r d i n s e l b i g er N a c h t

Von seinen Knechten umgebracht .

He had omitted the conjunctive ` a b e r ' which comes i n

t h e p o e t ' s l i n e a f t er ` w a r d , ' a n d t h e n , h a v i n g f i r s t w r i t t e n

` s e l b i g e n, ' h a d c h a n g e d i t t o ` s e i n e n , ' f e e l i n g p e r h a p s t h a t

t h e s e m o d i f i c a t i o n s w e r e n ec e s s a r y t o f i t t h e o c ca s i o n . P e r -

haps unconsciously he also converted Belsazar (as Heine

s p e ll s t h e n a m e ) t o B e l s a t z a r . T h e w r i t e r w a s q u o t i n g a J e w

w h o s e p o e m e x p a t i a t e s o n t h e o v e r t h r o w o f a G e n t i l e s o v e -

r e i g n w h o h a d o f f e n d e d I s r a e l . T h e B o o k o f Da n i e l i s n o t s o

e x p l i c i t . I t s a y s : ` I n t h a t n i g h t w a s B e l s h a z z a r t h e K i n g of

t h e C h a l d e a n s s l a i n ' ( D a n . v i . 3 0 ) . B u t t h e a u t h o r o f t h e

i n s c r i p t i o n w i s h e d t o m a k e i t ` cl e a r ' t h a t ` B e l s a t z a r ' was

s l a i n b y h i s o w n p e op l e .



CHAPTER XIIALL THE ROMANOVSTHE death of Nicholas II and his f amily did not suffi ce

for th e S ovie t plan of ` government ' with , or wit hout,

Germany. Nothi ng short o f e xterminati on of all the Romanovs

could satisfy t he enemies of ' Belsatzar . ' W h e n e ve r t h e Tsik

(Central Executive Commit te e) and th e Ch rezvychaika (Inquisi-

ti on) laid hands on any of t he ex-Tsar's relati ves t he ir fate was

sealed . It did not matte r where t he unfortunate princes migh t

be, or wh at local authorit y happened to be ost ensib ly involved

-the Tsik and Yankel Sverdlov, Red Jewi sh Autocrat of All

th e Russias, directed th e disposal of th em .

It is quite useless for th e apologists of Soviet rule to insinuate

th at local bodie s may have commit te d excesse s wit hout t he

knowledge and approval of t he Ce ntre : in th ese murders of

Grand Dukes and a Grand Duchess-in all eleven persons

of t he blood Royal-t he hand of t he Ce ntral Government is

clearly apparent . Moreover, th ey were all slain in cold blood,

of deliberate purpose ; not like th e victims of th e holocaust

at Perm, because a rei gn of stark te rror had been ordained

from Moscow.

It i s wi th mind and hand still a-t remble aft er reciti ng th e

horrors of t he cellar and the woods of Ekaterinburg th at I

take up th is t ale of woe, all th e more piti ful on account of t he

utte r abse nce of any prete xt f or the crimes- just s ordid murder

1 1 9



120 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSu n r e l i e v e d b y a n y s h a d o w o f p o l i t i c a l e x p e d i e nc y o r p r o v o c a t i o n .

F i r s t , I t a k e t h e c a s e o f t h e G r a n d D u k e M i c h a e l A l e x a n d r o -

v i c h ; he 'disappeared' before the oth ers-about a month

b e f o r e t h e T s a r - a n d h e w a s t h e o s t e n s i b l e H e i r , a l t h o u g h h e

h a d f or m a l l y r e s i g n e d hi s r i g h t s t o t h e p e o p l e . I h a v e c o l l e c t e d

a l l t h e m a t e r i a l s c on c er n i n g h i s l a s t d a y s i n P e r m .

T h e T s a r ' s b r o t h er h a d r e m a i n e d a t G a c hi n a , h i s u s u a l r e s i -

d e n ce , du r i n g t h e e a r l y m o n t h s o f B o l s h e v i s t r u l e . T h e r e h e

w a s a r r e s t e d i n M a r c h, 1 9 1 8 , a n d s e n t i n t o ex i l e . H i s s e c r e -

t a r y , N i c h o l a s N i k o l a i e v i c h J o h n s o n , a n d t h e f o r m e r C h i e f o f

t h e G e n d a r m e r i e a t G a c h i n a , C o l o n e l Z n a m e r o v s k y , w e r e a r -

r e s t e d a t t h e s a m e t i m e a n d t r a n s p o r t e d t o g e t h e r w i t h h i m ,

guarded by Letts . P e r m w a s t h e i r d e s t i n a t i o n , a n d i n t h a t

c i t y t h e y r e s i d e d f o r t h e n e x t t w o m o n t h s .

A p a r t f r o m b e i n g u n d e r s u r v e i l l a n c e , t h e e x i l e s e n j o y e d

c o m p a r a t i v e f r e e d o m . The Grand Duke took his walks with

h i s s e cr e t a r y . Although suffering from a chronic malady

( g a s t r a l u l c e r s ) w h i c h r e q u i r e d c o n s t a n t e x e r c i s e and a

special diet, he had no cause to complain of his health

w h i l e i n P e r m . T h e f a c t w a s m a n y p e o p l e s e n t h i m d a i n t i e s ,

s u c h a s s t e r l e t s f r e s h l y c a u g h t o u t o f t h e K a m a , s o t h a t h i s

r o o m s a t t h e K or o l e v s k i e N o m e r a ( K i n g ' s I n n ) w e r e a l w a y s f u ll

o f p r o v i s i o n s . H e f e l t s o w e l l t h a t h e s e l d o m h a d r e c o u r s e

t o t h e m e d i c i n e fo r s t i l l i n g t h e t e r r i b l e p a i n s t h a t h e s u f f er e d

d u r i n g a c u t e a t t a c k s o f t h e m a l a d y .

P o p u l a r i t y h a s i t s d r a w b a c k s . T h e p e o p l e o f P e r m d i d n o t

r e a l i z e t h a t t h ei r a t t e n t i o n s t o t h e e x i l e m i g ht a r o u s e s u s p i c i o n

among his Red enemies . When things came to such a pass

t h a t t h e T s a r ' s b r o t h e r f o u n d h i m s e l f r u n n i n g t h e g a u n t l e t

o f p o p u l a r o v a t i o n s , i t b e c a m e n e c e s s a r y t o a v o i d t o o f r e q u en t

a p p e a r a n c e s i n t h e s t r e e t s . Znamerovsky warned the Grand

D u k e t h a t t h e R e d s a t t h e s u b u r b a n M o t o v i l i h a a r s e n a l w e r e

b e g i n n i n g t o g r o w r e s t i v e a n d o p e n l y a g i t a t i n g a g a i n s t t h e

l i b e r t y a l l o w e d t o t h e e x i l e s . S o t h e r e a f t er t h e f a m i l i a r f i g u r e



ALL THE ROMANOVS 1 2 1

o f M i c h a el A l e x a n dr o v i c h i n h i s s h a b b y g r e y s u i t a n d t o p - b o o t s

w a s s e e n n o m o r e , a n d h e t o o k h i s e x e r c i s e u nd e r t h e co v e r o f

d a r k n e s s .

T h e G r a n d D u k e h a d l e f t h i s w i f e a n d c h i l d r e n a t G a c h i n a .

C o u n t e s s B r a s o v a ( h i s m o r g a n a t i c s p o u s e ) c a m e t o v i s i t h e r

h u s b a n d i n t h e m i d d l e o f M a y . Madame Znamerovskaia h ad

a l s o a r r i v e d i n P e r m . I t w a s a r a s h s t e p . Countess Brasova

h a d m u c h d i f f i c u l t y i n g et t i n g a w a y ; i n f a c t i t w a s o n ly m a n a g e d

b y a s t r a t a g e m . T h e k o m i s a r s w e r e t o l d t h a t i f t h e y i n t er f e r e d

th e matter would be referred to Moscow . T h i s f r i g h t e n e d

t h e m .

Re ach ing Moscow on May 2 2 o r 2 3 , Countess Brasova

decided to take a still bolder step to save her husband .

C o n s c i o u s o f hi s c o m p l e t e a lo o f ne s s f r o m p o l i t i c s , s h e i m a g i n e d

t h a t p e r s o n a l i n t e r c e s s i o n w i t h t h e R e d ch i e f t a i n s w o u ld m o v e

them to let him go . O f c o u r s e i t w a s a n i l l u s i o n e x c u s a b l e

o n ly i n a di s t r a c t e d w i f e . I m e n t i o n i t b e c a u s e L e n i n hi m s e l f

i n t e r v e n e d i n t h e m a t t e r . I t w a s t h e l of t y i d e a l i s t o f S o v i e t -

dom, that absolutely refused to permit th e departure of

Michael and thereby assumed the responsibility of what

happened .

Madame Znamerovskaia did not leave Perm . S h e w a s t h e r e

w h e n h e r h u s b a n d w a s s h o t a n d l a t e r s h a r e d h i s f a t e. B u t I

a m a n t i c i p a t i n g .

Unbeknown to any member of the family or even to N . N .

J o h n s o n , C o l o n e l Z n a m e r o v s k y h a d c o n c e i v e d a p l a n o f e s c a p e

which he intended to put into practice, fearing that the

M o t o v i l i h a w o r k m e n m i g h t b e g o a d e d i n t o v i o l e n c e . I a m i n

p o s s e s s i o n o f t h e d e t a i l s o f t h i s p l a n , a n d I c a n s t a t e m o s t

p o s i t i v e l y - i n t h e l i g h t o f s u b s e q u en t e v e n t s - t h a t i t w a s n o t

c a r r i e d o u t , n o r e v e n a t t e m p t e d .

On June 1 3 a te legram reached Gachina from Perm,

a n n o u n c i n g t h a t ` o u r g e n e r a l f a v o u r i t e a n d J o h n n y h a s b e e n

removed by whom and wh ither unknown . ' T h i s m e s s a g e w a s



122 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSs u p p o s e d t o h a v e c o m e f r o m Z n a m e r o v s k y it could have come

only from him . T h e f i r s t f e e l i n g w a s o n e o f u n m i x e d j o y ;

t h e n d o u b t s b e g a n t o a r i s e , a n d n o s m a l l a n x i e t y a s t o t h e

p r o b a b l e r e p r e s s i o n t h a t w o u l d a t o n c e f a l l u p o n t h e h o u s e h o l d

a t G a c h i n a . S u r e l y en o ug h , s o o n a f t e r w a r d s C o u nt e s s B r a s o v a

w a s a r r e s t e d b y U r i t s k y , t h e b l oo d - s t a i n e d K o m i s a r o f P e t r o -

g r a d , w h o h i m s e l f w a s a s s a s s i n a t e d t w o m o nt h s l a t e r b y a n ot h er

Je w . A f t e r i n n u m e r a b l e t r i b u l a t i o n s , s h e m a n a g e d t o e s c a p e

w i t h h e r c h i l d r e n o u t o f R u s s i a .

*

What had happened in Perm ? A d i s p a t c h f r o m M r . A l s t o n,

t h e B r i t i s h A c t i n g H i g h C o m m i s s i o n e r , r e p o r t e d f r o m V l a d i v o s -

t o k , F e b r u a r y 1 3 , 1 9 1 9 : ` Mr . T . h a s j u s t a r r i v e d he r e . . . .

W h e n a t P e r m h e s a y s h e l i v e d i n t h e s a m e h o t e l w i t h G r a n d

D uke Michael and Mr. J o h n s o n , h i s s e c r e t a r y , w h o w a s a

R u s s i a n . At 2 a .m. on or about June 16 he saw four of

t h e P e r m m i l i t z i a o r p o l i c e t a k e t h e m o f f , a nd h e i s c o n v i n c ed

t h a t t h e y w e r e k i l l e d . '

L a t e r , i t b e c a m e p o s s i b l e t o o bt a i n t h e e v i d e n ce o f ey e - w i t -

n e s s e s , w h i c h co r r o b o r a t e d a n d a m p l i f i e d M r . A l s t o n ' s d i s p a t ch .

T h e G r a n d D u k e h a d t w o s e r v a n t s w i t h h i m i n P e r m , B o r u n o v

and Chelyshev. T h e y l i v e d i n a n a d j o i n i n g r o o m . Mr . J o h n-

s o n l i v e d u p s t a i r s . C h e l y s h e v e s c a p e d a n d g a v e t h e f o l l o w i n g

v e r s i o n : -

At about th e date above mentioned (June 12 t o 16-

h e w a s h a z y o n t h i s p o i n t ) h e w a s a s l e ep o n e n i g h t w h e n t h r e e

m e n i n s o l di e r s ' d r e s s , f ul l y a r m e d , e n t e r e d h i s r o o m , w o k e h i m

u p a n d r o u g h l y o r d e r e d h i m t o l e a d t h e m t o M i c h a e l R o m a n o v .

I n v a i n h e p r o t e s t e d t h a t t h e G r a n d D u k e w a s a s l e e p . The y

t h r e a t e n e d h i m w i t h t h e C h r e z v y c h a i k a . He had to comply .

H e f i r s t w o k e M r . J o h n s o n . T h e n h e l ed t h e w a y t o t h e G r a n d

Duke's room . H e w a s a s l e e p . C h e l y s h e v r o u s e d h i m a n d e x -

p l a i n e d t h e r e a s o n . T h e G r a n d D u k e l o o k e d a t t h e a r m e d m e n .

One of them said : ` We have orders to take you-orders



ALL THE ROMANOVS 123

from the Sovdep . ' 1 The Grand Duke replied : ' I s h a l l n ot

come unless you show me a paper .' One of th e men th en

s t e p p e d f o r w a r d a n d , l a y i n g h i s h a n d r o u g h l y o n t h e G r a n d

D u k e ' s s h o u l d e r , e x c l a i m e d : 'Oh! t he se Romanovs ! Weare fed up with you a l l 1 '

R e a l i z i n g t h a t r e s i s t a n c e w a s f u t i l e , t h e G r a n d D u k e r o s e

a n d d r e s s e d h i m s e l f . Mr . Johnson had also meanwhile made

himself ready, and insisted that the men should take him

a w a y a s w e l l . A f t e r s o m e a r g u m e n t , t h e y a g r e e d . C h e l y s h e v

d e c l a r e s t h a t h e a l s o a s k e d t o b e t a k e n , b u t t h a t t h e m e n

r e f u s e d .

A s t h e s o l di e r s a n d t h ei r t w o p r i s o n er s w e r e g o i n g o u t of t h e

r o o m , C h e l y s h e v r e m e m b e r e d a b o u t t h e m e d i c i n e , a n d , g r a s p i n g

t h e b o t t l e , f o l l o w e d , c a l l i n g o u t : ` P l e a s e , y o u r H i g h n e s s ,

t a k e i t w i t h y o u . ' H e k n e w t h a t w i t h o u t h i s m e d i c i n e t h e

G r a n d D u k e m i g h t b e s u b j e c t e d t o g r e a t a n d n e ed l e s s s u f f e r i n g .

T h e s o l d i e r s r o u g h l y p u s h e d hi m a s i d e a n d , m a k i n g s o m e b r u t a l

r e m a r k a b o u t t h e I m p e r i a l F a m i l y , l e d t h e p r i s o n e r s a w a y .

From that moment they were lost to view . M a n y s t o r i e s o f

M i c h a el ' s e s c a p e a n d o f hi s h a v i n g b ee n s e e n a t O m s k , a t S e m i -

p a l a t i n s k , a t C h i t a , a t H a r b i n , e t c . , h a v e b e en s u c ce s s i v e l y

d i s p r o v e d .

A g a i n s t t h e v e r s i o n o f a n e s c a p e t h e r e a r e t h e s t r o n g e s t

e v i d e n c e s . The Grand Duke would never have been a party

t o a n y a t t e m p t t o e v a d e h i s g a o l e r s , k n o w i n g f u ll w e l l t h a t b o t h

t h e T s a r - f o r w h o m h i s l o y a l t y a n d a f f e c t i o n w e r e p r o v e r b i a l

- a n d h i s o w n f a m i l y w o u ld s u f f e r f o r h i m . I t m a y b e o b j e c t e d

t h a t h e w a s r e m o v e d a g a i n s t h i s w i l l b y f r i e n d s i n d i s g u i s e ;

b u t t h i s t h e o r y c a n no t e x p l a i n a w a y t h e i r r e f u s a l t o a l l o w h im

t o t a k e w i t h h i m a r e m e d y n e c e s s a r y t o h i s h e a l t h a n d p e r h a p s

t o h i s l i f e . T h e r e h a d b e e n p l o t s t o p r o c u r e h i s e s c a p e - s o I

h a v e r e a s o n t o be l i e v e ; b u t i n e v e r y c a s e t h e p l a n s h a d b e e n

b e t r a y e d . C o l o n e l Z n a m e r o v s k y k n e w t h i s . H e w o u l d t r u s t

1 Abbreviation of S o v i e t d e 2 u t a t o v ( C o u n c i l o f D e p u t i e s ) .



124 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSn o bo d y w i t h h i s p l a n , b u t o b v i o u s l y i t m i s c a r r i e d , f or h e w a s

h i m s e l f t o go w i t h M i c h a e l , a n d w e k n o w t h a t i n s t e a d o f t h a t

h e w a s m u r d e r e d . T h e s h o o t i n g of Z n a m e r o v s k y f o ll o w e d c lo s e

upon the Grand Duke's disappearance .

C h e l y s h e v a f t e r w a r d s p r o f e s s e d c o n f i d e n c e i n h i s m a s t e r ' s

e s c a p e , b ut a t t h e t i m e h e h a d n o s u c h i l l u s i o n . I n f a c t , h e

w a s c o n v i n c e d t h e n t h a t t h e G r a n d D u k e h a d b e e n t r a p p e d ,

for when he had had time t o recover from his surprise,

h e w e n t t o t h e l o c a l S o v i e t a n d c o m p l a i n e d t h a t t h e G r a n d

Duke had been kidnapped . H e r e l a t e s t h a t n o a t t e n t i o n w a s

p a i d t o h i m a t f i r s t , b u t t h a t l a t e r s o m e s e m b l a n c e o f a

search was made and quickly dropped .

R e ga r d i n g t he u l t i m a t e d i s p o s a l o f t h e t w o p r i s o n er s , s t o r i e s

c i r c u la t e j u s t a s n u m e r o u s a n d v a r i e d a s t h e s t o r i e s o f t h e i r

e s c a p e . I n e e d n o t c i t e t h e m . I t s u f f i c e s t h a t t h e G r a n d D uk e

M i c h a e l, g e nt l e s t o f m e n , t o w h o m a l l t h o u g ht o f p o w e r a n d e v e n

o f a m b i t i o n w a s r e p u g n a n t , d i s a p p e a r e d t o b e s e e n n o m o r e .

* * * *

P e r m a n d i t s v i c i n i t y w a s d es t i n e d t o w i t n e s s o t h er t r a g e d i es

f u l l o f h o r r o r . Many othe r members of th e Romanov family

h a d b e e n i n t e r n e d t h e r e , i n c l u d i n g ( i ) t h e G r a n d D u c h e s s

E l i z a b e t h , s a i n t e d s i s t e r o f t h e E m p r e s s , v e ne r a t e d b y g r a t e f u l

M u s c o v i t e s w h i l e A l e x a n d r a w a s d i s l i k e d ; (2 ) th e Grand

D u k e S e r g i u s M i k h a i l o v i c h , f o r m e r M a s t e r o f t h e O r d n a n c e ,

a n d q u i t e r e m o t e f r o m p o l i t i c s ; ( 3 ) P r i n c e I g or ; ( 4 ) P r i n ce

L o a n ; ( 5 ) P r i n c e C o n s t a n t i n e , a l l t h r e e b r i l l i a n t y o un g m e n ,

t h e s o n s o f t h e l a t e G r a n d D uk e C o n s t a n t i n e C o n s t a n t i n o v i c h ,

n o ne o f t h e m c o n c e r n e d w i t h p o l i t i c a l m a t t e r s ; a nd ( 6 ) P r i nc e

V l a d i m i r P a v l o v i c h P a l e i , s o n o f t h e G r a n d D u k e P a u l a n d

stepbroth er of th e Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich . T h i s

y o u t h o f s e v e n t e e n h a d g i v e n p r o m i s e o f b e i n g o n e o f t h e

w o r l d ' s g r e a t e s t - p o e t s .

P r i n c e L o a n w a s m a r r i e d t o P r i n c e s s E l e n a o f S e r b i a , w h o

h a d c om e t o t h e U r a l s t o s h a r e h e r h u s b a n d ' s e x i l e . She had



ALLTHEROMANOVS 125

r-been persuaded to go to her county, the Bolshevists hesitating

to incarcerate her, and she was at Ekaterinburg when, towards

the end of June, she heard that Prince loan and the other

captives had been put on starvation rations . She decided,

come what might, not to leave him behind . Thereupon the

Bolshevists arrested her . She was in the prison at Ekaterin-

burg when the Tsar and his family were murdered . In the

same prison were some people who had followed the Imperial

household into captivity : young Countess Anastasia Henri-

kova, Mlle . Schneider, the Emperor's valet Volkov . (Prince

Dolgoruky and General Tatishchev had ` disappeared ' earlier . )

Of course, none of them knew anything about the awful hap-

penings in Ipatiev's house .

When the Jewish murderers and their accomplices, the

German-Magyar ` Letts,' had taken wing before the advance

of the Whites, these prisoners were sent to Perm for future

disposal, while they themselves had hurried westward, having

helped to accomplish the hellish design of the Jew fiend,

Yankel Sverdlov-to exterminate `all the Romanovs . '

Orders had already preceded them to Perm, and the design

had been fully accomplished there . The murder of the

Romanovs of Perm took place exactly twenty-four hours

after the murder of the family in Ekaterinburg .

* * * *

Here are the bare 'facts of this new butchery . The six

Romanov prisoners above mentioned, with the Grand

Duchess's companion, the nun Varvara, and S . M. Remes,

manager for the princes, were interned in the village school

of Alapaevsk, a place in the environs of Perm .

On the night of July i7 (zgi8) their warders came to tell

them the story that Yurovsky had retailed to the Tsar : that

there was danger for . them, that the enemy ( i . e . , the Czecho-

Slovaks) were approaching, and that in the interest of their

personal safety they would be removed . It was even confided



126 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANO VSto them whither they were going, namely, to the Siniachikhin

Works . All unsuspicious, they (also) at once complied . The

programme of the murder was here somewhat different . It

was not convenient to carry it out on the premises . The party

took their seats in the native korobs (a small tarantass) and

were driven north .

When twelve versts (eight miles) out the caravan halted

in a wood which contained a number of disused iron ore mines

-one sees the similarity of detail in the murderers' plan-

and here the unfortunates were slain and their bodies thrown

down the shafts .

It was a much cruder performance than that of Ekaterinburg .

The actual murderers here were simply Russian criminals,

escaped convicts who `worked ' for the Chrezvychaika, the

Red Inquisition . They just slaughtered the victims and got

rid of the bodies without so much as rifling their pockets .

Meanwhile at the school certain ` precautions ' were, as

usual, taken . A pretended 'escape' was staged . The school

building and its approaches were 'faked' to show evidence

of combat between the Red Guards and pretended White

Guards, and to give verisimilitude to the performance they

took a peasant who happened to be locked up in the local

gaol, murdered him and placed his dead body in the school to

represent the White `bandits . '

Mr. Preston, the Consul, telegraphed from Ekaterinburg,

October 28, 1918, that on the retaking of Alapaevsk by the White

troops on September 28, the corpses of the Romanov Princes,

the Grand Duchess and their attendants were found sufficiently

preserved to be recognized, and that they were buried in the

presence of a great concourse of people .

The discovery had been made thanks to the resource of a

local police agent, whose name I do not give for special reasons .

Post-mortem examination showed that the victims had been

bludgeoned to death but must have undergone a prolonged




agony before they died . The Grand Duke Sergius was shot

through the head, perhaps to put him out of his misery ; for the

murderers were just butchers who did not seek to torture their

victims . There was no refinement of cruelty about them .

They were only Russians . It is not true that they threw their

victims down the shaft before life was extinct . The autopsy

has dispelled that legend . The murderers even exploded hand

grenades down the shaft, probably to make assurance doubly

sure .

* *

The investigation has clearly established the authorship of

these murders . The orders came from Moscow through the

same channels that had been used in the murder of the Tsar

-namely, from the Jew Sverdlov to the Jew Goloshchekin,

and, as usual, the Russian workman Beloborodov acted as

the dummy president of the Ekaterinburg Soviet board-

the channel through which Moscow acted in the Urals . These

orders were carried out by the leading komisars of Perm,

among them being the Komisar of Justice Soloviev .

As in the case of the murder at Ekaterinburg, the Bolshevists

at Perm followed up their traitorous crime by announcing that

there had been a conspiracy . The world was told that the

Princes had been kidnapped by bands of White Guards . (When

the Whites had to evacuate Perm, General Diterichs arranged

to have the bodies of the martyred Princes removed eastward .

They rest in a place of safety-at the Russian Cathedral in

Peking . )

More than half a year later a crime equally abominable was

perpetrated at Petrograd . The victims were the Grand Dukes

Paul Alexandrovich, Dmitri Constantinovich, Nicholas Mik-

hailovich (the historian), and George Mikhailovich . They had

been imprisoned for some time without any charge being

preferred against them . On January 29, 1919, they were



128 THE LAST DAYSOF THE ROMANOVSremoved to the Fortress of SS . Peter and Paul, and there on

the same day without any investigation or form of trial they

were ` killed by Red Guards with revolvers '-such is the trite

information that is available . But the crime of Ekaterinburg

and the slaughter of Alapaevsk give a clue as to the authorship

of this atrocity . The last of the Romanovs within the power

of the Jew-ruled Soviet had passed away . Perhaps, some day,

N. A . Sokolov will be able to investigate the crime of Petrograd .

We now approach the end of this long martyrology . The

murders of which I am about to speak form part of the Red

Terror ordained by the Soviet to avenge the murder of Uritsky

and the attempt on Lenin, which took place about a month after

the crime of Ekaterinburg .

I referred above to the transfer of certain prisoners from that

city to Perm . Volkov, the Tsar's valet, has deposed that

altogether thirty-six persons travelled in the prison train .

Among them were Countess Henrikova, Mlle . Schneider,

and Princess Elena . They all found themselves interned in

the same prison in Perm . Here Volkov met Chelyshev, who

had also been locked up, and from him heard the account of

the abduction of the Grand Duke Michael . They saw the

Princess leave . After great difficulty the Serbian Government

had managed to rescue her . She did not, of course, know that

her husband had been murdered . She thought he had escaped,

and went away willingly enough this time .

The Terror had been proclaimed on September 1, 1918 .

The official Izvestiya declared that the ' proletariat (sic) will

reply . . . in a manner that will make the whole bourgeoisie shud-

der with horror,' The Krasnaia (Red) Gazeta announced

` We will kill our enemies in scores of hundreds . . . . Let

them drown themselves in their own blood . ' 1

1 The chrezvychaika of Petrograd, presided over by the Jew Peters,

proclaimed that `the criminal hand of the Socialist-Revolutionary

Party, directed by the Anglo-French, has dared to fire at the leader



PLATE VII

RELICS FOUND NEARTHE PYRES

(a) One of the Empress's huge pearl earrings_

(b) The Empress's great diamond pendant .

(c) Her pectoral cross, set with emeralds .

'FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH'This group was taken at Tobolsk during

the captivity. All except M. Pierre Gillard,

the French tutor (in the centre), diedfor their loyalty to the Imperial Family .

Countess Hendrikova is seated on theright with Mlle . Schneider by her side .

Their mangled bodies were found outside

Perm. Count Tatishchev (left) and Prince

Dolgoruky (right) disappeared at Ekaterin-

burg. Two bodies, supposed to be theirs,were found outside the city, one bearing

documents of `citizen Dolgorukov . '



( a )

RELICS FOUND NEAR THE PYRES

FAITHFULUNTODEATH'

PLATE VII

( c )




` On the night of September 3 '-I am quoting Volkov-

` we were led out of the prison, eight of us . There were

Countess Henrikova, Mlle . Schneider, and Mme. Znamerov-

skaia, myself, and four others . We were surrounded by twenty-

two armed guards, part Letts, part Magyars .

` We had been told that we were to be transferred to another

prison ; we carried our small possessions . When we saw that

they were leading us out of the town, we realized that our last

hour had come . It was terribly hard on the ladies . They

dragged themselves along with difficulty in the heavy mud .

After several miles, we came to a corduroy road with swamps on

either side . ' (It was a sewage farm . ) `Some of our guards

suddenly began offering to carry our bags . I knew that meant

that they were going to shoot us directly, so each one wanted

to secure his booty beforehand . It was now or never . While

they were wrangling over the spoils I made a dash for

i t . '

Volkov leapt the ditch and was scuttling across the slimy

waste when the Magyaro-Letts opened fire . He fell just as

the first shot rang out and remained lying . They thought he

was dead and moved on . He then made another dash, and

Af the working classes . . . . This crime will be answered by massterror

. . . representatives of capital will be sent to forced labour . . .

,ounter-revolutionaries will be exterminated . . . Petrovsky, Komi-sar for Interior, telegraphed all local Soviets, reproving them for ` theextraordinarily insignificant number of serious repressions (the hate-

Laden Jew could not abide the innate kindliness of the Russians) andmass shootings of White Guards and b o u r g e o i s i e . ' Petrovsky denouncedthese ` grandmotherly ' methods He ordained that ` all RightSocialist-Revolutionaries must be immediately arrested . Considerablenumbers of hostages must be taken from b o u r g e o i s i e and former officers .

At the slightest attempt at resistance, or the slightest movement in

White Guard circles, mass shootings of hostages must be immediately

employed . Indecisive and irresolute action in this matter on the part

Af local Soviets will be severely dealt with . ' Zinoviev (Appelbaum),one of the cultured leaders of Sovietdom, then declared that ninety

Dut of ioo millions of the population must be `won over,' but `as forthe rest, we have nothing to say to them ; they must be annihilated . '

I



130 THELAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSfinally got away . After wandering about for forty-three days,

he came into the White zone and was saved .

The frightfully mangled remains of Countess Henrikova and

Mlle . Schneider were discovered by us in the summer of las

year and committed to the grave in Perm, in full view of the

prison windows where they had been fellow prisoners of Princess

Elena .

'Comrade' Petrovsky's accusations were undeserved in

Perm . The Red Terror ran a full stream of blood in that

region . The peasants, being regarded by Bolshevist as th

worst kind of bourgeoisie, provided the bulk of the ' scores of

hundreds' of victims . For details of these horrors I would

refer the reader to the White Book on Bolshevism issued ir

April, zgig .

Respecting Count Tatishchev and Prince Dolgoruky, nothing

is known as to the manner of their death . According to Volkovv

who was in prison with him in Ekaterinburg, Tatishchev waE

summoned to the office on or about June 8, and was there in-

formed that, by order of the Soviet, he was to be deportee

to the province of Ufa. He was thereupon taken away frorr

the prison and seen no more .

Prince Dolgoruky remained some time in the Ekaterinbur

House of Detention. He was frequently in communicatio

with the worthy Mr . Preston, trying to relieve the sufferings o

the captives in Ipatiev's house . Probably this hastened hi!

end . We know that the British Consul was threatened wit

death if he 'interfered' any more . Dolgoruky disappearec

like his senior, the Count . Their memories, like the memorie!

of Henrikova and Schneider, will live through the ages as o :

those who have been `faithful unto death . '



CHAPTER XIII

THE JACKALS

AROUND the tigers of the Soviet and their feasts of blood

hovered the jackals, singly, in twos and threes, and in

Jacks, waiting to snatch some morsel .

It would be impossible to mention all the sorry scavengers

:hat thronged around the Romanovs before and after their

nartyrdom . I refer only to such of them that affected, one

lay or another, the course of the tragedy and its investigation .

Chronologically I record the name of Soloviev first because

ie figures in the dossier as an actor while the Family was still

Lt Tobolsk . The depositions of numerous witnesses sub-

stantiated by Soloviev himself show that he was receiving

L salary of Rs.4o,000 (nominally, £4,000) from a banker

lamed X (well known in Petrograd and reputed to be

LJew), who is said to have acted for the Germans during

he war, having the disbursement of secret funds from

3erlin in his hands .

Having married a daughter of Rasputin, named Matrena,

Lfter the 'saint's' death, and formed a connexion with Anna

lyrubova, then at liberty in the Red capital, and with other

riends of Grishka, this young man, an ex-officer in the Russian

Lrmy and former A .D .C . to Guchkov, started on a 'mission'

o Siberia . Ostensibly he went to his wife's home . His own

xplanation is that he was interested in the fisheries of the Ob ;

lso that he took money and comforts to Tobolsk to the Imperial

amily from their friends in Petrograd . He deposes that he

131



132 THELASTDAYSOF THE ROMANOVShanded the money to the priest Vasiliev, also the presents

He accuses the priest of appropriating the one and the other

(The priest makes counter-charges . )

There appears to be reason to believe that the Empress

knew of this ` mission,' and, retaining to the very end al

her illusions regarding Grishka and Anna, gave her confidence

to Soloviev as his son-in-law and the associate of Vyrubova

How he repaid this confidence will be seen .

Xs agent naturally kept him and the Germans informed as to all the happenings at Tobolsk, but one may b(

quite sure that he did not stop there . Information giver

to the Germans meant, of course, its communication, whet

Berlin so desired, to the Bolsheviks, its servants . Is it sur

prising in these circumstances that each of the four separate

and independent organizations formed to release the Imperia

exiles was betrayed before anything could be attempted?-

for the Solovievs were many and Xs tentacles farreaching .

It could not be a coincidence that officers who met Solovie'

in Tiumen were arrested by the Reds and `disappeared .

Two such cases are recorded in the dossier . It is certainl'

more than a coincidence that before and after the fall of th

Kolchak Government he was in mysterious association wit]

persons who were strongly suspected of being German agents

and could give no satisfactory account of the source of hi

income, since he had been cut off from X -'s sup

plies .

N. A. Sokolov found him and Matrena at Chita, enjoyin

the confidence and support of Maria Mihailovna, the so-calle

` Queen of Diamonds,' who presided over the destinies of th

Ataman's household and had a decided finger in the Tram

Baikalian pie . The ` Queen' bore a striking likeness to

certain Jewess who had spied on the Russian South-Wester

front in the days of the war . She came in person to releas



THEJACKALS 133

he Solovievs from the House of Detention to which they had

seen relegated by Sokolov's legal order . Sokolov himself

Lad to flee from Chita to avoid worse consequences.

The priest Vasiliev was of another stamp . His antecedents

hould have dispensed him from ecclesiastical office . He had

tilled the sexton of the church where he had previously

erved . The plea of accident of which he availed himself

o secure a normal punishment of 'penitence' could not

ngender a proper recognition of his responsibilities . The

nan was a self-seeker ; he saw in the captivity of the

Zomanovs an opportunity to advance his own and his son's

nterests . He indulged in all manner of demonstrations of

oyalty-bell-ringing and prayers-without regard to their

affect upon the captives and their gaolers . As a matter of

act, they did much harm to the family . The accusation

)rought against him by Soloviev appears to be borne out in

)art by the discovery of a certain quantity of articles belonging

:o the Imperial Familynn his (Vasiliev's) house .

* * * * *

The Czech pharmacist Gaida, commanding their rearguard

vhen they were stopped by orders from Berlin and Moscow,

vho afterwards entered the service of the Omsk Government,

)layed a sorry part in the investigation of the Tsar's murder .

Immediately after the occupation of Ekaterinburg by the

Whites, Gaida requisitioned Ipatiev's house for his personal

zse and took the room in which the Tsar and his wife had

.ived for himself . The judiciary begged him not to do so,

:xplaining that it was most necessary that the house should

iot be disturbed in the interests of justice . They were brushed

aside . Gaida threatened violence if they did not leave him

alone . They drew up a proces-verbal on the matter. It is

.n the dossier .

In the light of this incident it is rather strange to read the



134 THELASTDAYS OF THE ROMANOVSRed proclamations denouncing the Czecho-Slovaks as the

agents of the counter-revolution, who were coming to deliver

Nicholas Romanov. Gaida's complete indifference to the

Romanovs and their fate was shared by his countrymen, anc

it is extremely doubtful if they would have behaved better

towards the Romanovs than they did afterwards to Kolchak .

Among the spies and officers employed by Gaida some arc

known to have been Bolshevist agents . One of the officials

of his intelligence branch proved to be the Nikolsky who hac

behaved so brutally to the exiles at Tobolsk, and was after-

wards president of the local Soviet . When the Russian officer

at Ekaterinburg heard of his previous exploits, they killed him

without giving the investigation an opportunity to obtair

his deposition .

Another hostile Czech was a certain Zaidek, a former Austriar

officer, who was in charge of an important section of the

Intelligence Department . When the former Extraordinary

Komisar Yakovlev, repenting of the part he had played i t

the removal of the Tsar from Tobolsk, came over to the White :

and applied to General Shenik for service, he happened tc

come into the hands of Zaicek, who, being a traitor and a spy

took measures to have Yakovlev sent away, perhaps knowin€

that he had been in the confidence of Mirbach and might

give the whole German show away,

The Omsk Government, largely composed of Socialist

Revolutionaries, gave little encouragement to the investigation

To them the murder of the ex-Tsar appeared to be a matte :

of quite inferior interest . The investigating magistrate, beinf

in straits for money, applied to the Governor-General of the

i Admiral Kolchak 'was surrendered by the Czechs to the Reds a

Irkutsk while he was travelling eastward in February, 1920, under th

protection of the Allied flags . The order to surrender him wacountersigned by the Czech 'commander-in chief .' Admiral Kolchak was shot soon afterwards in a peculiarly cruel manner .



THE JACKALS =35

Ural, a mining engineer named P ., for a sum of ioo roubles

(then worth about ~i) to provide the monthly stipend of a

typist . Being a member of the S. R. party, this high

official refused, explaining that in his opinion no inquiry

was needed, as it was clearly ` a simple case of the shoot-

ing of hostages,' too common to worry about.

When, at a later stage, this person was making his way

eastward in a luxurious car stuffed with 'loot,' the officers

of Ataman Semenov searched it, found several millions of

Romanov roubles (the currency of the old regime, worth even

now about 250 to the £), besides gold and platinum, and shot

him on the spot as a `speculator . '

The investigating magistrate was able to discover the

whereabouts of a noted Bolshevist named Ilmer, who had come

to Siberia secretly with an important mission from Moscow .

He communicated with the Secret Service at Omsk, requesting

that an officer should be sent to apprehend Ilmer . But Ilmer

did not turn up . It was ascertained that the Secret Service,

instead of sending the officer, had sent a telegram, with the

result that Ilmer escaped .

* * * * *

Perhaps the worst enemies of the investigation were in the

Ministry of Justice . It being a cardinal maxim of the Kolchak

Government that it wielded supreme authority over the

Russian dominions pending the convocation of a `Constituent

Assembly,' the blessed formula consecrated by advanced

politicians and adopted as a sine qua non by the powers of

the Entente, the Minister of justice had to be a Socialist-

Revolutionary . M. Starynkevich, a lawyer who had beenexiled by the former regime, fulfilled the 'necessary'

requirements .

He persistently and deliberately declined to treat the Tsar's

murder as anything more than an ordinary penal offence,

and would not appoint a special investigator . The inquiry



136 THELAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSwas therefore conducted casually . A member of the

Tribunal of Ekaterinburg, without special training in criminal

investigation, had the case in hand . (Curiously enough, he

was of Jewish extraction . ) The blunders, or worse, then

committed are directly ascribable to Starynkevich .

It was only by direct and categorical orders from the Supreme

Ruler (Admiral Kolchak) that the appointment of a special inves-

tigator (N . A . Sokolov) was assured . But realizing that renewed

and constant attempts would be made to upset the investigation,

Kolchak gave Sokolov a special warrant of appointment and

otherwise supported him in his work . It was very necessary,

for all that Omsk would allow him for expenses was Rs . 4 .50

per diem (about 6d . ) , and when he arrived in Ekaterinburg

he had exactly 165 Siberian roubles (then about £2) in his

possession for all outlays .

Bad enough, this was nothing to what came after . The

investigation was frequently embarrassed by the excessive

zeal of amateur Sherlocks or Pushfuls . In some cases their

thirst for information could not be ignored, as they claimed

to make their demands from a high personage friendly to the

Omsk Government . In February of last year, Sokolov prepared

a confidential report for transmission abroad and handed it

to Admiral Kolchak . The next morning it appeared in full

in the local organ of the Socialist-Revolutionary party . Thepaper was suppressed a few hours later, but of course the

mischief had been done . The murderers knew exactly how

the investigation stood . All the names of the accused and

witnesses were printed in full for the whole world to read,

and there also was the name of the investigator (Sokolov),

whose appointment had been so distasteful to Starynkevich,

practically inviting anybody to come and kill him . (A sum-

mary of the disclosed information was published in The Times

of February 18, zgzg . )



THEJACKALS 137

This same Starynkevich, now an ex-Minister, has lately

come out in another ̀ disclosure . ' He has informed the

representatives of Jewry that not a single Jew was concerned in

the murder of the Imperial Family . It seems almost incredible,

but here is the document ; it is a letter from the Secretary

of the Joint Foreign Committee of the Jewish Board of

Deputies and the Anglo-Jewish Association, giving details of

an interview with M . Starynkevich .

It says : `the Minister, in a statement given to me written

down with his own hand, and herewith literally translated,

declares that :-

On the strength of the data of the preliminary inquiry, the course of

which was reported to me every week by the Attorney-General, I can

certify that, among the number of persons proved by the data of the

preliminary inquiry to have been guilty of the assassination of the late

Emperor Nicholas II and of his family, there was not any person of

Jewish descent . '

The letter proceeds :-

' I put to him the question as to how he explains the fact of GeneralKnox having sent to the British War Office a report to the contrary .

M. Starynkevich . . . said that the Russian military circles had

vehemently asserted from the very outset that the assassination of

the Tsar's family was the handiwork of the Jews, and that this point

must be established by the inquiry. They started an investigation of

their own, and insisted on the whole course of the inquiry being left

to themselves.

' The Minister of justice had to contend with great difficulties before

he obtained that the inquiry should be carried out by the regular organs

of his department . Even the impartial investigation did not cease to

be hampered by the interference of the military . Thus, when the First

Examining Magistrate, Sergeiev, had failed to discover any trace ofJewish participation in the crime, these military circles vociferously

protested against him and insinuated that M . Sergeiev was a Jewhimself . This campaign was so violent and persistent that the Minister

of justice had to discharge M. Sergeiev from the case and to entrust

the further proceedings to another examining magistrate . His suc-

cessor was likewise unable to discover any trace of Jewish partici-

pation in the murder of the Tsar's family . '

I have given this 'statement' in full to prevent any

subsequent `misapprehensions . ' M. Starynkevich's record is



138 THE LASTDAYSOF THE ROMANOVSknown to the reader . He shows himself in his written ` denial '

to be a quibbler . The degree of ` guilt ' of the implicated

persons had not been fully established in the initial stages

of the inquiry, but they were known to be implicated and

known to be Jews . The names of Yurovsky, Goloshchekin,

Safarov, Volkov are in Sergeiev's own proces-veybaux, and

they were perfectly known by him to be Jews .

It was only natural that the maintenance of Sergeiev

reputed to be of Jewish descent at the head of the investi-

gation alarmed all who were concerned with the establishment

of the truth, but M . Starynkevich carefully conceals another

still more important reason for this anxiety . Sergeiev was

a judge, not an investigating magistrate . He had been

deputed to take over the conduct of the investigation from

the first magistrate (Nametkin) in the early days of August,

1918, and, contrary to law and to the rules of criminal in-

vestigation in Russia as well as in other countries, had con-

tinued to conduct the inquiry after the formation of the

government at Omsk and despite the fact that fully qualified

investigating magistrates were available .

The persistent refusal of the Minister to relieve Sergeiev

could be understood only in one sense . Not till February

of the following year did Starynkevich at last comply with

the law, but even then it was not by his own initiative .

Soon afterwards he himself had to leave . Hence his com-

plete ignorance of the subsequent course of the investigation .

His slurs upon the military are beneath contempt . ButSokolov and the dossier are here to answer him on this and

any other points, if necessary .



CHAPTERXIV

BYORDER OF THE ` TSIK '

THE murderers of the Romanovs have been unmasked

in the preceding chapters, but not all of them . The

parts played by Yurovsky and Goloshchekin are apparent .

They were confidential agents of Yankel Sverdlov, the Red

Tsar . Other very important personages, although they

remained in the background, were Komisars Safarov, Voikov

and Syromolotov . They occupied prominent positions in

the Regional Government of the Ural, as members of the Presi-

dium or Board of the Sovdep (Council of Deputies) .

This Board it was that ` decided' that the Romanov

family should be shot . The local Council, i . e . the ` representa-

tives of the people,' knew nothing, at the time, of the execu-

tion . Had they been consulted, of course the whole city

would have learned about it . We know that they first heard

of it on the fourth day .

I give here a complete list of the names or cognomens of

the so-called `judges ' : (z) Beloborodov, (2) Goloshchekin,

(3) Sakovich, (4) Voikov, (5) Bykov, (6) Syromolotov, (7)

Safarov, (8) Ukraintsev, (9) Kiselev, (io) Vainer, (ii) Hotimsky,

(12) Vorobiev, (13) Andronikov, (i4) Andreiev, (z5) Simashko,

(i6) Avdeiev, (i7) Kariakin, (z8) Zhilinsky, (ig) Chufarov,

(20) Yurovsky, (21) Efremov, (22) Anuchin. The above

formed the Oblastnoy Sovdep (Regional Council of Deputies),

i . e . , the representatives for the whole of the Ural region .

139



i4o THELAST DAYS OFTHEROMANOVSThe Board was composed of five members, Beloborodov, the

Russian 'dummy' as president, and Goloshchekin, Safarov,

Voikov and Syromolotov, all four Jews, as members. The

Chrezvychaika (Inquisition) was 'run' by Goloshchekin,

Yurovsky, Efremov, Chustkevich and three other Jews .

These `inner circles' are the men who 'tried' the Tsar

and condemned him to death, in other words, assumed the

duty of carrying out Sverdlov's orders . They sent 'com-

promising' documents to Moscow afterwards : letters alleged

to have been surreptitiously exchanged between the Tsar

and officers outside . They are clumsy forgeries . One of

them alludes to `five windows' facing the square as possible

means of escape, whereas the Tsar's quarters comprised only

two windows on that side, and if the alleged plotters had

succeeded in penetrating the double barriers, scaling the house

and entering as directed, they would have plumped into a

veritable hornet's nest . Besides, how could they have hoped

to escape the machine-gunner on the roof .

* * * * *

This mockery of a trial has been perpetuated by the ` f a k e s '

of sensation-seekers and imaginative writers . One enterpris-

ing foreigner cabled thousands of words from Ekaterinburg

not long after the murder, describing the aeroplanes that

hovered over the city-presumably to carry off the Tsar-

and the dropping of bombs, etc ., all of which was, of course,

rank nonsense ; but he also gave a wonderful account by

the Tsar's faithful servant,' whose name had never been

heard of, who told with a wealth of detail how the Tsar was

fetched away ` for trial ' and how he came back and took

an affecting leave of his wife and children before being shot

all alone . . . . There are pages and pages of this stuff, and

it is all absolute twaddle, but none the less mischievous .

There was no trial of any sort whatsoever . No trial-

therefore no verdicts, judgments or other such-like formulze,



BY ORDEROF THE ` TSIK' 141

and no reading of any papers to the Tsar before the

family was sent to its last account . This so-called `paper'

is an invention inspired by the murderers to fit in with the

Moscow story of an intended trial . The only 'paper'

concocted by the murderers was the 'Decision' as to the

`execution . ' At the Soviet Headquarters in Ekaterinburg

numerous drafts of this document were afterwards discovered

and figure in the dossier . They show how troubled the mur-

derers were to invent a lie for open approval by Moscow .

Why was the Tsar moved from Tobolsk, and why was he not

brought to liMoscow, as Yakovlev had been instructed ? It

is absurd on the face of it to hint that the Ural Regional

Sovdep was overriding the decisions of Moscow We have

just seen that the virtual rulers of the Ural were Yankel Sverd-

lov's fellow-Jews and associates, even subordinates .

An answer is offered by the Soviet organ of May 4, 1918 .

It explains that it was ` owing to alleged indications of efforts

being made by local peasants and by Monarchist groups to

promote escape . ' We trace here the handiwork of Soloviev

and Vasiliev . And it adds : `The regional Soviet of the

Urals are charged with surveillance over the Imperial Family . '

(The Times, May 6, 1918. )

But while this answer goes a certain way and definitely

involves the responsibility of the Moscow Government for all

that happened in the Urals, it by no means tells the whole

truth . The inside history of Yakovlev's mission has been

explained. Yakovlev was the agent of Sverdlov . But

Sverdlov as president of the Tsik 1 was over the foreign as

well as the domestic affairs of Sovietdom, being in fact Prime

1 Even this high body (the Red Cabinet of Ministers) was, like all

Soviet institutions, ruled by an Inner Ring (Presidium or Executive

Committee), which was (and is) invariably composed of Jews, with one

or two Russians as lay figures .



142 THELASTDAYS OF THE ROMANOVS

Minister. Now Sverdlov had been a paid agent of Germany

and was still in the closest touch and relationship with Mirbach .

The Tsar's own definition of 1Yakovlev's mission was unques-

tionably right, in substance, if not in detail-to obtain his

endorsement of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk .

The Soviet organs published long accounts of Yakovlev's

journey . In these he is falsely described as the representative

of the Sovnarkom, i . e . of Lenin's parliament . That was merely

to cover up the tracks . Yakovlev is quoted as speaking of

Nicholas Romanov as a pleasant enough person, but of ` ex-

traordinarily limited intellect . ' You see, he was not clever

enough to realize the advantages that were offered to

him .

The Germans, of course, were extremely displeased by this

contretemps, more especially as it came in conjunction with

the failure of their plan to nobble the Russian intelligentzia

and with their aid to set up the ` new government ' that

Ludendorff craved . One of Mirbach's chief assistants, a Dr .

Ritzier, then remarked to one of these Russians, that ` the

Bolsheviks are still necessary . ' A few months later the

Red Terror avenged the slight inflicted upon the German asso-

ciates of Sverdlov .

* *

Voikov, the Jew, boasted to his ` lady ' friends in Ekaterin-

burg after the murder, that `the world will never know what

we did with the bodies . ' It was his accomplices that suggested

to the remorse-stricken Fesenko that the ' cinders were not

there . ' The insolent confidence in the superiority of their

` precautions ' displayed by Voikov i s characteristic of his

race .

The murderers invented another story in Perm, of which

I have not yet spoken . Their agents gave information that

one of the Grand Duchesses had been seen in the city and that

she had been shot during the Terror some months after the



BY ORDEROF THE ` TSIK ' =43

( execution' at Ekaterinburg . They were quite positive

about it . They even pointed out the place where ' Anastasia '

had been buried . The bodies-there were many-were

exhumed ; the only one that was a young woman's was un-

mistakably identified by the local police as that of ` Nastia

Vorovka ' (the thief Nastia), a well-known criminal .

The Komisar Safarov, afterwards editor of the official

Izvestiya, wrote an article on the ` execution ' which figures

in the dossier as an interesting sidelight on the motives of the

crime and its methods . It is only fair that the accused should

speak for themselves . I here give a plain, unvarnished

rendering of this ' defence ' :-

In the places seized by the Czecho-Slovaks and bands of WhiteGuards in Siberia and the Southern Ural, authority has fallen into the

hands of Black Hundred pogromists composed of purest Monarchists by

profession . The real intentions of the White Guards of the Quadruple

Entente are made plain by the mere fact that at the head of them all,as supreme war-lord, stands the Tsar's general Alexeiev, the most

devoted servant of Nicholas the Sanguinary, himself a convinced blood-

shedder (palach) . . . .

` Around Nicholas all the time was spread an artful network of

conspiracies . One of them was discovered during the transit from

Tobolsk to Ekaterinburg.' (Safarov here suggests that Yakovlev was

a traitor, and passes over in silence the whole history of the interrupted

journey . This compels the inference, which is borne out by scores of

direct evidences, that the Tsik, i.e. Sverdlov, deliberately sent the

Romanovs into a death-trap . ) Safarov continues : `Another plot

was discovered just before the execution of Nicholas . The participants

in the last conspiracy to deliver the murderer of workmen and peasants

out of a peasant-workman's prison clearly identified their hopes with

the hope that the Red capital of the Ural would be occupied by Czecho-

Slovak White Guard pogromists .

` General Alexeiev wanted to bring over into his Stavka (G.H.Q. )

his own Tsar.' (The General had long been dead when Safarov wrote

this article.) ` His calculations have not been justified . The people's

assizes (narodnv sud) have judged the All-Russian murderer and

anticipated the plans of the counter-revolution . Thewill of the Revolu-tion has been accomplished, although many of the formal aspects of

bourgeois legal procedure were infringed, and the traditional, historical

ceremonial of the execution of " crowned personages " was not ob-

served. The peasant working-man's authority here also expressed



144 THELASTDAYSOF THE ROMANOVSitself in a form of extreme democratism ; 1 it made no difference for the

All-Russian murderer and had him shot just like an ordinary robber

(razboinik) . Nicholas the Sanguinary is no more, and the workmenand peasants may with full right say to their enemies : You playedyour stake on the Imperial crown . You have lost . Take your change-an empty crowned head '

The Russian peasants at Ekaterinburg looked at the matter

differently . They caught Vaganov, one of the regicides, and

killed him on the spot . It was very distressful to the Investi-

gating Magistrate, but he could not prosecute the peasants

there were too many of them, and they would not have under-

stood . It had appeared to them the right thing to do, to slay

the Russian who had laid hands upon the Tsar .

But Safarov eludes the issue he himself raises . Why not

1 Here is the way democratism ' was applied . I cite Bolshevist

writers:-The ' instruction' issued by the All-Russian Extraordinary Com-

mission to all Provincial Extraordinary Commissions (chrezvychaiki)

says : ` The All-Russian Extraordinary Commission, is perfectly inde-

pendent in its work, carrying out house searches, arrests, executions,

which it afterwards reports to the Council of the People's Commissaries

(Sovnavkom) and to the Central Executive Council (Tsik) . The Pro-vincial and District Extraordinary Commissions are independent in

their activities, and when called upon by the local Executive Council(Ispolkom) present a report of their work . In so far as house searches

and arrests are concerned, a report made afterwards may result in

putting right irregularities committed owing to lack of restraint . Thesame cannot be said of executions . . . . It can also be seen from the" instruction " that personal safety is to a certain extent guaranteed

only to members of the Government, of the Central Executive Council

(Tsik) and of the local Executive Committees (Ispolkom) . With theexception of these few persons all members of the local committees ofthe (Bolshevik) party, of the Control Committees and of the Executive

Committee of the party may be shot at any time by the decision of any

Extraordinary Commission of a small district town if they happen to

be on its territory, and a report of that made afterwards . ' (From anarticle by M. Alminsky, Pravda, October 8, 1918 . )

Comrade Bokiv gave details of the work of the Petrograd DistrictCommission since the evacuation of the All-Russian Extraordinary

Commission to Moscow The total number of arrested persons was6,220 Eight hundred were shot (during about six months) . (From areport of a meeting of the Conference of the Extraordinary Commission,Izvestiya, October ig, 1918, No. 228 . )



PLATE VIII

THE FAULTS OT" THE EARLIERINQUIRY

N. A. Sokolov, pointing to the wall of Ipatiev'shouse, calls attention to a serious omission made by his

predecessor . General Diterichs (seated) listens . Theother auditor is M . Magnitsky, Prokuror (Public Prose-

cutor) of the Ekaterinbu g Court . Photograph takenin the garden, beside the terrace .

THE HAND OF THE RED JEWMURDERERS

A facsimile of the original message filed at the

Ekaterinburg Telegraph Office by the local Sovietchiefs to the Moscow Tsik (Central Executive Com-mittee) on July 4, 1918, twelve days before the murder .

In it Beloborodov, the Russian `dummy' president,informs Sverdlov through Goloshchekin that Syro-molotov is hastening to Moscow to take the finalinstructions for the `affair,' and that the Russian

guards have been replaced by 'others,' i . e . , by Germansoldiers.



THE FAULTS OF THE EARLIER INQUIRY

M 0 C K B A

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CbIpOMOAOTOBKaxpa3 noeXa+T 1 ` ,.AF OpraHH3AUVV iena COr71acHG yKa3aJ

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THE HAND OF THE RED JEW MURDERERS

PLATE VIII



BY ORDER OF THE ` TSIK ' 145

have sent the Tsar for trial to the capital, to Moscow ? Surely

that was the place where the `will of the Revolution ' could

have been properly displayed ! All these wonderful con-

spiracies of which he speaks made it all the more necessary

to send him there and save the Ural Soviet from all responsi-

b i l i t y . The approach of the Whites should have caused the

local chieftains not to delay one single day . Why not ?

Because Sverdlov had already sent for Syromolotov to arrange

the murder .

The cynical references to ' bourgeois legal procedure ' and

to `historical ceremonial' will, it is to be hoped, put an end

for ever to the legend of a ` t r i a l . '

* *

Yankel Sverdlov conversed with his agents in Ekaterinburg

over the direct wire before and after the murder, giving direc-

tions when necessary . They forgot to destroy all evidence of

these conversations . When the investigation was confided

to experienced and fearless hands, one of the first measures

taken was to thoroughly overhaul the records of the telegraph

o f f i c e . It yielded astonishing results . I give some of the

documents in this and the following chapters .

Here is the record of a conversation between the Red Tsar

and, apparently, Beloborodov, the former in Moscow, the

latter in Ekaterinburg . This record was written in pencil

on the backs of telegram blanks . There are six such blanks .

The writing is evidently of one and the same person . It con-

sists of questions asked by Sverdlov and answers thereto .

The record was made obviously on July 20, four days after the

murder. Here it is, textually translated :-

What is heard with you ?

The position on the front is somewhat better than it appearedyesterday . It is ascertained that the opponent has denuded all fronts

ind flung all his forces on Ekaterinburg . Can we hold EkaterinburgLong ? It is difficult to say . We are taking all measures to hold it .

Everything superfluous has been evacuated from EkaterinburgYesterday a courier left with the documents that interest you . Com-

a



146 THE LASTDAYSOF THE ROMANOVSmunicate the decision of the Tsik, and may we acquaint the populatior

by means of the text that you know ?

At a meeting of the Tsik presidium on the 18th it was decide

(poslanovleno) to recognize the decision of the Ur. Reg. Sovdep as regula

(pravilnym) . You may publish your own text . With us yesterday ;

in all the newspapers was inserted a corresponding announcement .have this instant sent for the exact text and will communicate it to yo

(lebit, i .e. to thee. Sverdlov is speaking to an inferior) .

This moment I shall hand over the exact text of our publication

I do not reproduce it . There is no need . The `wireless

printed in The Times of July 22, 1918, is the exact and accurate

translation of the text given in this conversation recorded

in Ekaterinburg two days previously . (The Moscow and th

Ekaterinburg texts are given in Chapter X . )

What better evidence could be found of the genuineness of

the above record ? It stops there . But it tells us volumes .

It is the language of conspirators, of accomplices in a crime

and of a superior whose orders and whose initiative alone

count . Yankel Sverdlov assumes his true proportions . H

and the Bolshevist Government in which he was omnipotent

as president of the Central Executive Committee (Tsik) and

virtually chief also of the Red Inquisition are for ever identified

with the murders that have been described in this work .

The courier referred to is Yurovsky . We know that he

left on the 19th with the plunder and, it is believed, the 'heads .

The Whites were only beginning to concentrate their forces

That was four days after the ` execution . '

*

But why all these precautions ? If the people are so anxious

to try and punish their late ruler, why resort to all manner o :

subterfuges, both in committing the 'execution' and it

acquainting the people with the death of their ` oppressor '

The answer is a simple one : Sverdlov and his associate :

were not sure of the people . The reason of that is equall3

simple : they were not Russians ; they were Jews . The3



BY ORDER OF THE ` TSIK ' 147

were `internationalists,' repudiating all nationality, yet dis-

guised under Russian names . The Russians in their midst

were dupes or dummies . Krassin might come to clear the

ground, but Apfelbaum-Kamenev appeared for the serious

work . What happened in London in 1920 is comparable

in a modest way with the Red mechanism in Russia itself .

Taken according to numbers of population, the Jews re-

presented one in ten ; among the komisars that rule Bolshevist

Russia they are nine in ten-if anything, the proportion of

Jews is still greater .

These men feared the Russian people, they feared the

Romanovs because they were Russians, they feared Nicholas

Romanov because he had been a Russian Tsar, and when he

refused to be seduced from his loyalty to his people and to the

Allies they resolved that he should die-he and all the Roman-

ovs . This resolve was carried out when the advance of anti-

Bolshevist forces gave a reasonable hope of sophisticating

the crime and avoiding a just punishment . And so definite

was Jew-ruled Moscow on the necessity of the ex-Tsar's death

that a whole month before the murder the report persisted

that Nicholas II was dead .

On June 21 the Komisar of the Press, named Stark, tele-

graphed to the Presidium of the Sovdep at Ekaterinburg

` Urgently inform regarding authenticity reports Nicholas

Romanov killed . ' On the 23rd Bonch-Bruevich, the secretary

of the Sovnarkom (Council of People's Commissaries, of which

Lenin is president), telegraphed to the President of the Eka-

terinburg Sovdep ( i . e . Beloborodov) : ` Information circulating

Moscow alleging former Emperor Nicholas the Second killed .

Send any available information .' A certain Boyard arrived

in Ekaterinburg on July 9 and telegraphed to the French Con-

sul in Moscow : ` Am staying meanwhile at British Consulate .

Reports about Romanov false."

* * * * *



:48 THELASTDAYS OF THEROMANOVSThe Germans knew what they were doing when they sent

Lenin's pack of Jews into Russia . They chose them as agents

of destruction . Why? Because the Jews were not Russians

and to them the destruction of Russia was all in the way of

business, revolutionary or financial . The whole record of

Bolshevism in Russia is indelibly impressed with the stamp

of alien invasion . The murder of the Tsar, deliberately

planned by the Jew Sverdlov (who came to Russia as a paid

agent of Germany) and carried out by the Jews Goloshchekin,

Syromolotov, Safarov, Voikov and Yurovsky, is the act not

of the Russian people, but of this hostile invader .

• * * * *The Jewish domination in Russia is supported by certain

Russians : the 'burgess' Ulianov, alias Lenin, the 'noble'

Chicherin, the 'dissenter' Bonch-Bruevich . They are all

mere screens or dummies behind which the Sverdlovs and the

thousand and one Jews of Sovdepia continue their workof destruction ; having wrecked and plundered Russia by

appealing to the ignorance of the working folk, they are now

using their dupes to set up a new tyranny worse than any that

the world has known .

• * * * *Sovietdom has consecrated three heroes to whom monuments

have been erected : to Karl Marx, to Judas Iscariot, and to

Leo Tolstoi, the three names that are associated with Revolu-

tion, Apostasy, and Anarchism ; two of them Jews .

• * * * *When the Jew Kanegisser assassinated the Jew Uritsky,

the Soviets ordained a Terror throughout the land . Rivers

of Russian blond had to wipe away the stain caused by a Jew

who dared to oppose the Jewish rulers of unhappy Russia .



CHAPTER XVTHE RED KAISER

WEN Yakovlev failed to remove the Tsarevich from

Toboisk and to ` convert ' the Tsar, he disappointed

Mirbach more than he disappointed Sverdlov .

The Jews feared the Russians, but the Germans wanted

to use them . The Red Tsar planned to exterminate the

Romanovs, but the Red Kaiser proposed to reinstate Nicholas .

For a time their respective schemes assumed divergent

courses ; in the end, Wilhelm's agents realized that they

could not dissociate themselves from the Red Tsar, and it

was the latter's plan that prevailed . But, morally as well

as practically, the German hand which had brought the Jew

murderers into Russia, controlled and directed the assassins'

work . Only when Berlin realized that the Romanovs were

irrevocably on the side of the Entente did they release the

hands of the murderers .

The proposal that Yakovlev brought to Toboisk was much

more insidious than the Tsar understood it to be . Nicholas

was not only to endorse the peace concluded at Brest ; he

was to seize the reins of power with the help of German

bayonets and to give his only son to be a lawful Tsar under

German tutelage . This meant the intervention of Russia in

the war again, but on the German side . The Red Kaiser

and his staff did not trust their Red agents any more .

While Yakovlev went to Tobolsk as envoy extraordinary of the

Tsik (but in reality of the German G.H.Q . ) , the official repre-

sentative of Germany to the Soviet Government, with which

149



150 THE LASTDAYS OF THE ROMANOVSshe was in treaty and in virtual alliance, was summoning a

secret conference of Anti-Soviet Russians to arrange for the

advent of the `new government' desired by Ludendorff .

It was a very pretty scheme, quite on German lines . But

it failed at every point . The Germans once more had shown

a total incapacity to understand human nature . Nicholas

scorned the base overtures ; the Russian intelligentsia dis-

played, on this occasion, a sound understanding of their duties

and interests . ' The illness of Alexis was another obstacle,

though in itself it made no difference .

Sverdlov was not disturbed by Yakovlev's failure to bring

Nicholas and Alexis to Moscow . He had his agents every-

where . While Soloviev acted as watch-dog over the cap-

tives of Tobolsk so that no stranger to German plans

should spirit them away, innumerable Red Solovievs hemmed

the captives in . The common herd of the Soviets knew

nothing, of course . The strings were cunningly and discreetly

pulled from Moscow according to the best methods of Pots-

dam and Wilhelmstrasse .

No sooner had Yakovlev started on the terrible rush of

16o miles over bogs and rivers running deep water over

breaking ice to Tiumen, than the Jewish conclave in Ekater-

inburg received its orders-to stop the travellers at all costs .

Omsk was at once 'stampeded' by the false statement that

Yakovlev was trying to arrange a rescue . Yakovlev was

really seeking to escape the North Ural net by taking the

South Ural route . He did not have to go through Omsk

at all, but to change from the Perm on to the Samara line .

There was no escaping out of the country by that route then .

It could lead only to Moscow . Nevertheless, this train turned

back to Ekaterinburg. Sverdlov did not really want the

Romanovs to go further . He could not afford to quarrel

1 See footnote, Chapter VII .



THERED KAISER 151

openly with his former paymasters, but he was probably

shrewd enough and sufficiently well informed to suspect

their secret designs .

The talk of a trial in Moscow did not begin till much later,

when Moscow rumour reported the Tsar as already defunct,

and solely as an antidote to those rumours, as they threatened

to upset the plan of murder .

Sakovich, formerly surgeon in a hussar regiment and ex-

ultra-monarchist, appertained to the Ural Regional Sovdep

as Komisar of Health . He deposed afterwards that he had

overheard Goloshchekin, Safarov and Voikov discussing with

Beloborodov the alternative of wrecking the train with Nicholas

Romanov or of ` arranging ' an accident. In the former

case, the responsibility would be placed on 'counter-revolu-

tionaries ' trying to effect a rescue . He did not listen to

all the details as it did not concern his department . But

the Jews did not have to carry out the plan then . TheGermans were still in favour of the survival of Nicholas .

The idea was carried out some months later at Alapaevsk .

I have a copy of the message sent afterwards to Moscow

and Petrograd in which the murderers seriously describe

the `rescue ' staged by them after the murder as having

been the cause of the grand ducal `disappearance . '

The Romanovs were suffered to live . A German mission

(ostensibly Red Cross) came to Ekaterinburg at the end of

May to ascertain all about the life of the `residents of Ipatiev's

house,' as the Imperial prisoners were officially styled . These

spies went straight to Berlin with their report . The Red

Kaiser knew full well what torments were being endured by

those whom he had professed to cherish, who after all were

his kith and kin . He could have saved them at any time .

But . . . they would not be saved by him . . . .

Mirbach's death did not, perhaps, introduce any modi-



152 THE LAST DAYSOF THEROMANOVSfication of the plan of slaughter . He was assassinated one

week before the event . The Bolsheviks declared that his

death was an act of provocation committed by their Socialist

opponents and gravely resolved that they must not quarrel

with Germany, because that would only be playing into the

hands of the assassins . This solemn farce had a deeper meaning .

* * * * *

During the summer of that year the Siberian anti-Bolshevist

units began to grow in numbers and strength . The Germans

had themselves foolishly promoted this reaction by arresting

the departure of the Czechs and compelling them to fight .

A Siberian Army was quickly springing into existence . It

might drive the Red Tsar out of Moscow and thus, instead

of an ally or agent there, the Red Kaiser would find himself

confronted by a hostile Russia . The war was slowly drag-

ging to its fateful end ; every battalion counted . The Entente

knew what the assistance of Russia meant, so the Entente

went to the aid of the Czechs and Siberians .

Ludendorff does justice to this tragic dilemma in his book

of WarMemories:-'

. The Entente, realizing that they could not work with aGovernment which looked for support to Germany, took action against

Bolshevism, and instead of sending these troops (the Czechs) to France,

held them up along the Siberian railway on the frontier between Russia

and Siberia, in order to fight the Government in Moscow . In addition

to this, by garrisoning the railway, the Entente prevented the return ofour prisoners of war from Siberia . This was unquestionably a serious

loss to us . ' (Vol. II, p. 654. )

The holding up of the Czechs was Ludendorff's own work .

He i s ashamed to admit it, and puts the cart before the horse

in pleading that the Entente displayed such far-sighted

activity . Moreover, it was precisely the German-Magyarprisoners of war who, rallying to the appeal of their Kaisers,

stopped the departure of the Czechs . Ludendorff is too

modest . But his statement makes one point crystal-clear

that in the German view the plan to get rid of the played-out



THERED KAISER 153

Red Tsar, to put a subservient White Tsar in his place, had to

be dropped . The Red Tsar might still be useful yet . As Dr.

Ritzier had remarked : `The Bolsheviks are still necessary . '

The usefulness of the Bolsheviks was to be twofold : ( i )

to defend the German front in Russia ; (2) to prevent the

White Tsar from joining the Russian forces of the Entente .

* * * * *

This being the story of the Tsar's murder, we are concerned

chiefly with the second part of Yankel Sverdlov's German

programme . How was it to be carried out so that there

should be no possible mistake? Obviously, there was only

one way-through death's dark portals . To bring the Tsar

or the Tsarevich to Moscow would involve risks . The Jews

were in a fright ; telegrams discovered in Ekaterinburg show

that they trusted none of the Russians in their employ . That

i s . why the Romanovs remained in Ekaterinburg.

Four days before Mirbach's assassination, consequently

while the Red Tsar had his daily audiences with the repre-

sentative of the Red Kaiser, Goloshchekin was already in

Moscow, and had discussed the murder with Sverdlov, had

telegraphed to Beloborodov to send another member of the

conclave to Moscow .

The Germans approved the murder ; there can be no doubt

on this point . The position held by Mirbach in Moscow,

his daily reports from the members of the Red Inquisition,

which naturally had the closest connexion with the arrange-

ments for the murder, such as the sending to Ekaterinburg

of the ten Magyar-German ' Letts ' as executioners, are

conclusive evidences . The Red Tsar and the Red Kaiser

were in accord .

But it was absolutely essential that no Russians should

be left inside the house where the Romanovs were to die .

Whether the Germans assented to the wholesale slaughter

that took place remains in doubt. By that time Mirbach



154 THE LASTDAYSOF THE ROMANOVShad gone to his last account, and the bloodthirstiness of the

Jewish murderers perhaps exceeded the German design,

and therein may be found a good reason for the report of

their ` safety' ; but the Red Kaiser cannot escape responsi-

bility for the whole crime any more than can the Red Tsar

who planned it and the Soviet regime that rendered such a

butchery possible .

*

Here is a translation of the original typewritten telegram

found in the archives of the telegraph office in Ekaterinburg

and included in the dossier :-Moscow

To President of Tsik SVERDLOV for GOLOSHCHEKINSyromolotov has just gone for organization of affair in accordance

with directions of Centre . Apprehensions unfounded stop . Avdeievsuperseded, his assistant Moshkin arrested . Yurovsky replaces Avdeiev .

Interior guard all relieved replaced by others . 4558 .

BELOBORODOVBelow the text in black ink is marked the date, '4/VII ' -

and further, in ink of the same colour, `Telegram received,'

after which in black pencil is the signature, ' Komisar

To(the rest of the name illegible), this representative of

the Soviet being in charge of the telegraph office and endorsing

all official messages as they were handed in for transmission .

The message is its own explanation. It is a full and crush-

ing confirmation of all that has preceded-fear of the Rus-

sians ; preparation of the murder ; direction of the plan from

Moscow, and eagerness of the local Jews to anticipate the

signal for the butchery . The horrible servility of the dummy

president, Beloborodov, is disclosed in all its nakedness . He

hastens to assure his Jewish masters that their ' apprehen-

sions ' are `unfounded. ' The German-Magyars who had

done their best to carry out the Red Kaiser's behest to

capture Siberia and to crush any hope of Russia's military

revival, were now called in to consummate the Red

Kaiser's plan by murdering the Tsar .



THE REDKAISER 155

For all that has been stated in these chapters there is unim-

peachable authority . There is the dossier . And there is the

overwhelming corroboration of the horrible realities that have

converted a large part of Europe into a charnel ; Russia into

a pest-house, and the rest of the world into a hotbed of unrest .

And pre-eminent among the doers of evil, murderers and

despoilers, has been the Red Kaiser .

When, in 1915, he wrote to the Tsar, asking him to recall

the days when they were friends, and Nicholas, mindful of

the bitter lessons that friendship had entailed, replied that

those days must for ever be forgotten, Wilhelm of Hohen-

zollern started the machinery that was to sweep out of exist-

ence the Tsardom and Russia, and the hapless Romanovs .

In the autumn of 1915 there assembled in Vienna the repre-

sentatives of the German and Austrian General Staffs to

discuss a plan for the promotion of a revolutionary movement

in Russia . It was then that all the outlines of the ` Russian '

revolution were laid down ; it was at that meeting that the

leading actors in the Red tragedy were chosen : the Lenins

and the Sverdlovs and the host of Jewish wreckers, who spent

the interval between their engagement and their appearance

on the Russian stage in the calm of Swiss resorts, studying

and rehearsing their parts .

* * * * *

The money that financed the 'Russian' revolution wasGerman money, and-I say it on the strongest evidence which

can be corroborated in the German secret archives-YANKEL

SVERDLOV RECEIVED A SALARY FROM THE GERMANS TILL

NOVEMBER 7, 1917, when, becoming Red Tsar of All theRussias, he had at his disposal loot unimaginable .

And thus it came to pass that the Germans who slew the

Tsar and the Jews who organized, aided and abetted the

murder, each left his marks upon the walls of Ipatiev's house .



CHAPTER XVIEPILOGUE

MANY hundreds of relics were collected in and around

Ekaterinburg by the law, and more particularly by

the military, officers of the White Government. The larger

number had no value as clues . They were personal belong-

ings-jewellery, clothing, linen-that had been stolen before and

after the murder . By Admiral Kolchak's orders, this property

was taken to Vladivostok by General Diterichs in February,

1919, and sent to the Tsar's sister, the Grand Duchess Xenia,

as next-of-kin .

Those of the Romanovs who had not been in the power of

the Soviets and had succeeded in leaving the country were

destitute . The total fortune belonging to the Tsar in England

amounted to £500Two days after the murder, the Soviet Government issued

a decree declaring all the property and possessions of the

Romanovs forfeited to them . This act had a double purpose

to afford any banks holding funds to the credit of the family

a pretext for non-payment ; to `legitimise ' the robbery of

the corpses in the wood and the appropriation of the valuables

left in Ekaterinburg .

The ropes of pearls and the matchless pearl necklace snatched

from the bodies have been the objects of barter on the Con-

tinental and London markets . Red missions smuggled in ahuge quantity of jewels belonging to the Crown and to the

Romanovs personally as well as to other individuals-all

` forfeited ' in the same manner.

156



EPILOGUE 1 5 7

Among the relics was a privat?: code that was found in the

ventilator of the Ipatiev lavatory . It bore the following

inscription in the Empress's hand : `For my own beloved

Nicky, dear, to use when he is absent from his " spitzbub . "

Fr. his lovingly, Alice . Osborne, July, 1894 . ' The German

word had been erased and rewritten in Russian ! The owner

of this little book had evidently prized it above everything

else, and fearing that it might be taken away from him had

hidden it-hoping, no doubt, to claim it some day .

Also among the mementoes from the funeral pyre came aruby that belonged to the murdered Empress . It was iden-

tified by her maid, who told the following story : ` The Emperor

gave her Majesty a ruby ring when she was only fifteen . They

fell in love even then . It was at the wedding of her sister the

Grand Duchess Elizabeth . After that they thought about

each other for eight years . The Empress always wore the

ruby ring hanging on a chain on her breast . '

The spaniel joy also came to England . Both the dogs that

were most highly prized by the Imperial family were of English

breeds . Jemmy, who died with her masters, was a diminutive

black-and-tan King Charles, so small that she could not mount

the Ipatiev stairs unaided .

* * * * *

The sufferings of the Romanovs in Ipatiev's house were so

terrible that it is not seemly to misrepresent them, as some

writers have done, in sordid fashion . I have the inventory

of the house and its contents, signed by Ipatiev and the Kom-

isars ; I have the proces-verbal of Sergeiev's inspection, made

within a fortnight of the murder ; lastly, I have the evidence

of my own eyes . The house itself contained every comfort

and convenience : electric light, excellent stoves, a well-

appointed bath-room and lavatory, electric bells everywhere,

plenty of good and even luxurious furniture . The bath was

in working order, and, when Sergeiev visited it, contained



158 THELASTDAYS OF THE ROMANOYSfirewood for the heater, sheets bearing the Imperial monogram,

and a cake of soap on the rack, besides numerous other signs

of frequent usage . The brutal guards, being used to the Rus-

sian steam-bath, were not interested in this ' outlandish '

contrivance, and except for their prying and offensive habits

did not apparently stand in the way of personal cleanliness .

The story of the girlish locks shorn because of the impossi-

bility of other methods of combating dirt and its consequences

is not borne out by the evidence . ` Combings ' of hair of four

different hues were found; also some short hair in the bath-

room . One would expect to find them . It is stated in the

dossier that a barber visited the house to attend the Tsar and

the Tsarevich .

Each member of the family had his or her bed . There were

sheets, pillows and blankets . There was a wash-house in the

courtyard .

For some reason the house was deficient in crockery, plate

and table-linen, hence quite needless discomfort was inflicted

upon the family at meal-times . The peasant-guards, inocu-

lated with the anti-bourgeois theories, saw no particular

hardship in their feeding out of one dish, as they themselves

were accustomed to do in the villages .

The torment that was endured by the captives was far worse

than any merely physical privations . But one such privation

did affect them very grievously : the utter impossibility of

seeing anything at all beyond the painted glass of their windows .

The youngest Grand Duchess (Anastasia) could not brook this

privation any longer one day, and managed to open a window

in the girls' room . She almost paid for this act with her life .

The sentry in the inner hoarding immediately fired, just miss-

ing her . The bullet lodged in the window-frame . Anastasia

gained nothing except a fright . She saw nothing except the

hoarding and the sentry, and did not wait for a second shot .

*



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16o THE LAST DAYSOF THE ROMANOVSIn the room where the Imperial couple and Alexis lived and

slept-next to the chamber in which their four daughters were

crowded-Alexandra placed a good-luck sign . It was so

unobtrusive that Gaida, the Czech commander who forcibly

installed himself in this room, probably did not notice it . In

pencil she formed the mystic sign of the swastika and inscribed

the date ` 173o April,' the day of her arrival in the house .

In the death-chamber in addition to the ' Belsatzar '

inscription was one that has yet to be deciphered . It is in

thick black ink, written with an expert hand, and just below,

on the window-sill, are three groups of figures that may or

may not have a meaning .

THEMYSTERIOUSINSCRIPTION IN THEDEATH CHAMBER

Some of the persons with whom the reader has become

familiar have gone to their last account .

The Russian regicide Medvedev died in prison of typhus

early last year . His accomplice Yakimov died in prison of

inflammation of the lungs at the end of last year . Their

death and burial certificates are both in the dossier .

Yurovsky wrote a letter to a certain Dr . A . before he fled

from Ekaterinburg imploring him to protect his old mother,

` who does not share my views, but who may suffer simply

because I am her son . ' It is at once an avowal of guilt and

THE EMPRESS ALEXANDRA'SGOOD-LUCK SIGN



EPILOGUE 161

a proof that even the most bloodthirsty wretch has some good

in him . This man had coolly tortured, murdered and cut up

innocent children, and was not able to remove his old mother

because he had to take the proofs of his crime to Moscow ; yet

he does not forget her . Before the Kolchak armies left Ekater-

inburg we heard that Yurovsky had been seen in the city .

Had he come at great risk to look for his mother ? Sokolov

had had her removed to Irkutsk . She feared and loathed her

son .

Yankel Sverdlov, the Red Tsar, died in Moscow early in

zgzg . He was knocked on the head by the workmen at one

of the Morozov mills, and succumbed to concussion of the brain .

Sovietdom was in an uproar . It was officially announced

that this `valiant defender of the people's rights ' had come

to a natural end, by inflammation of the lungs . Nevertheless,

the Chrezvychaika could not allow the Red Tsar to be so dis-

honoured . Yankel was followed to the outer bourne by thou-

sands of innocent victims offered up in holocaust to his memory .

The mortal remains of the blood-stained agent and associate

of the Red Kaiser were exposed to the public gaze and given

a pompous Red funeral, and the Theatre Square which faces

the building where Yankel had spun his web of blood received

a new name, the accursed name of Sverdlov .

None of the Red Jews dared to wear the mantle of Yankel

Sverdlov openly . His office was delegated to Kalinin, a

'dummy' of the Beloborodov variety, who provided the

needful Russian screen to cloak their villainies . For there

was no change in the spirit of the Red Jew government of

Russia, only an adaptation of methods, a variation of victims-

first the bourgeois, then the proletiye .

*

The Russians who fought and bled for their country are

almost extinct . One of the last who died in the sacred cause

was Nicholas II and the other Romanov victims of the Red

z



162 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSinvaders, German and Jewish . A remnant persisted to the

end . To them the Red usurpers of Moscow could never be

anything except an alien domination .

I recall the night before we left Ekaterinburg . The Reds

were approaching, but Sokolov went into the darkness and the

rain to obtain the evidence of important peasant witnesses .

He told them who he was and the object of his call . They

could have locked him up in a cellar and given him up to the

Reds . It was to their advantage to do so . By giving him

information they incurred great risk . He explained it all to

them. `And now what will you do ? ' he asked . `Will you

help justice ? Will you remember that he who is dead was your

Tsar ? ' They did not hesitate one instant . They chose the

path of honour, of justice, of self-sacrifice . They gave their

evidence and brought Sokolov on his way .

It is the peasant that will bring Russia back to new life .

Alexandra's vision may yet come true, and Nicholas and the

Romanovs may not have died in vain .



AUTHOR'SPOSTSCRIPTUM

IHAVE alluded in my opening chapter to the reasons that

prevented me from publishing the text of the dossier

which had been committed to my care . Other persons have

not been so meticulous . But since the indiscretion has been

committed in another country, I have no reason to object to

publication here, and as incomplete or distorted versions of

the documents may be issued by irresponsible persons, I think

it only right, after reading the translations, to say that I find

that they have been made from accurate copies of the original

depositions .

ROBERT WILTONLONDON,

August z9, 192o

16



THE STORY OF THE PUBLISHED DOCUMENTS

AT the end of July, 1918, the town of Ekaterinburg was

taken from the Bolsheviks by the forces of the Siberian

Government Shortly after their occupation of the district an

investigation was ordered to be made of the circumstances at-

tendant on the murder of the Imperial Family at Ekaterinburg,

as the news of the crime had broken through the barriers of

Bolshevism, and was already known in Russia and to the world

at large.

An administrative investigation of the crime therefore took

place, followed by a judicial examination of the witnesses

connected with the life of the Imperial Family at Tsarskoe-

Selo, Tobolsk and Ekaterinburg by N. A

. Sokolov, the Investi-

gating Magistrate for Cases of Special Importance of the ,

Omsk Tribunal .

The combined depositions which are now published for the ,

first time reconstruct the life-story of the Imperial Family from

the time of the Emperor's abdication until the murder of him-

self, his wife, his children and their few faithful servants in,

Ipatiev's house at Ekaterinburg .

Copies of the depositions were taken from the archives

by M. George G. Tellberg, Professor of Law at the Universityof Saratov, and Minister of justice at Omsk, when he fled with

the other ministers of Kolchak's Government .

165



166 THELAST DAYSOF THE ROMANOVSThe translator has endeavoured to preserve the original

simplicity, and in some cases the crudeness and lack of edu-

cation apparent in the witnesses . Colonel Kobylinsky, M.

Gillard and Mr. Gibbes are educated men who apparently

gave their evidence without displaying any outward emotion,

but although they did not exaggerate the sufferings of the Im-

perial Family, they were not eye-witnesses of the final hours

of their captivity .

The evidence of the soldiers strikes a more sinister note .

Two of them witnessed most of the daily happenings at Ipa-

tiev's house, but they display certain evidences of pity, and of

,having been well-disposed towards the prisoners, whose mur-

der they condemned . Indeed, these men are most insistent

that the crime was committed by the ` Letts . ' The third

soldier (Medvedev) took an active part in the murder .



Part I I

(A.)-TSARSKOE-SELO TO TOBOLSKMARCH2 (I5), 1917, To APRIL 13

(a6), 1918

THE DEPOSITIONS OF COLONEL KOBYLINSKY

THE deposition of Colonel Kobylinsky affords complete

documentary evidence of the conditions of life experi-

enced by the Imperial Family from March, 1917, until May,

1918, during which time they were under his charge . Colonel

Kobylinsky appears to have been a brave soldier and a just

man, who did what he considered to be his duty, but who

treated the unfortunate prisoners with humanity and courtesy .

His statement will be of enormous value to historians of the

future, inasmuch as it reveals a new aspect of the character

of the Emperor Nicholas II, and negatives the pro-German

tendencies of which both he and the Empress have been so

persistently accused .

On April 6-1o, 1918, the Investigating Magistrate for Cases

of Special Importance of the Omsk Tribunal questioned in

Ekaterinburg, in conformity with Paragraph 443 of the Code

of Criminal Procedure, the undermentioned person in the

capacity of a witness . The witness stated

My name is

EUGENE STEPANOVITCH KOBYLINSKY .

I am forty years of age, and I am a Colonel attached to the

Command of the Tiumen Military District. I belong to the

167



168 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSOrthodox Church . At the beginning of the Great War I was in

command of a company of the Petrogradsky Guards regiment .

On November 8 ( 2 1 ) , 1914, I was wounded in the foot by

a r i f l e b u l l e t . In July, 1916, I was severely shell-shocked on

the Austrian Front during the battle near Gouta-Staraya .

The shell-shock was productive of very bad results, as I deve-

loped kidney trouble . In September, 1916, I was sent to the

hospital in Tsarskoe-Selo . From this hospital I was sent to

Yalta, and on my return to Tsarskoe-Selo in 1916 I was reported

as physically unfit for active service, and I was transferred to

the reserve battalion of my regiment . I was in this battalion

at the beginning of the revolution .

Late in the evening of March 5 (18), I was ordered to report

myself at the headquarters of the Petrograd Military Dis-

t r i c t . At ii p.m. I went to the headquarters and was told

that I had been sent for by General Kornilov (the famous

Kornilov, who at this time was commanding the forces of the

Petrograd Military District) .

I was received by Kornilov, who said bluntly : ` I have

assigned you an important and responsible position . ' I

asked him what it was . ` I will tell you to-morrow,' answered

the General . I tried to find out from him why the choice had

fallen on me, but the General answered : ` Mind your own

business and get ready . ' I saluted and left . The next day,

March 1g, I received no further orders, and no orders arrived

on March 20. I began to think that my appointment had

lapsed, when suddenly I was told on the telephone that Korni-

lov ordered me to be at Tsarskoe-Selo station at 8 a .m. on

March 21 . On my arrival at the station I met General Korni-

lov and his A.D . C .

When we were seated in our compartment, Kornilov turned

to me and said : ` I will now enlighten you as to our destina-

tion . We are going to Tsarskoe-Selo . I am going thither to

place the Empress under arrest . You are going to take over



THE DEPOSITIONS OF COLONEL KOBYLINSKY x6qthe command of the Tsarskoe-Selo Garrison ; Captain Kotse-

bue will be Commandant of the Palace, but you will supervise

the Palace and Kotsebue will be subordinate to you . '

We arrived at the Palace . In one of the ante-rooms we

were received by General Benckendorff, Grand Marshal of

the Imperial Court, and Kornilov explained to him that he

would like the Emperor's suite to assemble, and he begged

Her Majesty to receive him . Benckendorff sent a footman to

ask everybody to come down, and he went in person to ask

the Empress to grant us an audience . When he returned he

told us that the Empress would receive us in ten minutes, and

shortly afterwards we were told by a footman that Her Majesty

desired to see us . When Kornilov and I entered the chil-

dren's room, there was nobody there, but a moment after the

Empress entered from another door . We bowed. She extended

her hand to Kornilov and nodded to me . Kornilov said to

her : ` I have come to inform you of the decision of the Coun-

cil of Ministers . From this moment you must consider your-

self under arrest . If you are in need of anything, will you

kindly apply to the new Commandant . ' After saying this,

Kornilov immediately turned to me : `Colonel, leave us to-

gether and take up your position outside the door . ' I retired .

About five minutes later Kornilov called me, and when I

entered the room the Empress held out her hand to me . Webowed to her and then we went downstairs . Some members

of the Emperor's suite were already assembled in an ante-room,

and Kornilov said briefly, `Gentlemen, this is the new Com-

mandant ; from this time onwards the Empress is under ar-

rest . If any of you wish to share the fate of the Imperial

Family you are at liberty to stay with them, but make up your

minds at once, as later I will not permit any one to enter the

Palace . ' At this time the guard was kept by His Majesty's

Svodny Guard Regiment, commanded by Major-General

Ressin, and at this very moment the Major-General said that



170 THELASTDAYSOF THE ROMANOVShe wanted to leave . The Grand Marshal of the Imperial

Court, Count Benckendorff and Count Apraksin, who was in

charge of the Empress's personal affairs, decided that they

would remain with the Empress .

The same day Kornilov confirmed his instructions regarding

the status of the arrested persons and the restrictions to be

imposed upon them . The guards of the Svodny Regiment

were relieved by the First Rifle Regiment, and Kornilov then

left Tsarskoe-Selo and I remained there as Commandant .

Before changing the guards Colonel Lazarev asked my per-

mission to say good-bye to the Empress . I allowed him to do

so, and Colonel Lazarev went in to see the Empress and wept

bitterly . He also broke down when he saw the colours of the

Svodny Regiment taken out of the ante-room. Some days

later (I do not remember the date) I was notified by telephone

of the arrival of the Emperor, and I went to the station . After

the arrival of the train the Emperor left his compartment

and walked very quickly through the station without bestow-

ing a single glance upon anybody ; he then took his seat in

an automobile, accompanied by a Marshal of the Court, Count

Vasily Alexandrovich Dolgoruky .

Two men in mufti now advanced ; one of them was Vershinin,

a member of the Duma . They told me that their mission was

ended, and that from this time the Emperor was under my

charge .

I cannot forget one circumstance in particular which I

witnessed at that time . Quite a number of persons had trav-

elled in the Emperor's train, but when the Emperor left the

train these people crowded out of the station and quickly

dispersed, throwing frightened looks in all directions . It

appears that they were very much afraid of being recognized .

I thought this behaviour was rather disgusting .

I accompanied the Emperor to the Palace, and he imme-

diately went upstairs to see his children who were ill .



THE DEPOSITIONS OF COLONEL KOBYLINSKY iqi

Shortly afterwards the Emperor's luggage was brought

from the station .

The life of the Imperial Family during their stay in Tsar-

skoe-Selo was regulated by certain instructions . These

instructions limited the relations of the Imperial Family

with the outer world, and of course brought certain restrictions

into their private life . The mail always passed through the

hands of the Commandant of the Palace, and the outgoing

mail was only allowed to leave the Palace through the park .

The Palace and the park were always surrounded by sentinels,

and walking in the park was only permitted from early morning

until dusk .

These were the chief restrictions, and the Government by

no means interfered with the private life of the Family .

Except the above-mentioned limitations, the Government

made no other restrictions .

During my first days in Tsarskoe-Selo all the children were

ill with the measles ; Maria Nikolaevna and, I think, Olga

Nikolaevna had inflammation of the lungs . But they speedily

recovered .

The day was usually spent in the following manner : The

Family got up early, with the exception of the Empress, who

usually stayed in bed a long time . At 8 a.m. the Emperor

took a walk in the company of Dolgoruky . They walked

for about an hour and a half, and took some sort of physical

exercise . At one o'clock the Family had lunch . After lunch

the Family used to work in the garden until three o'clock .

The children then had their lessons . Tea was served at 4 p.m . ,

and sometimes after tea the Family went out in the park .

Dinner was served at seven o'clock .

During my stay in Tsarskoe-Selo, several incidents occurred

to which I would like to draw your attention . A few daysafter the arrest of the Imperial Family, a disagreeable incident

happened concerning the body of Rasputin . His corpse had



172 THELAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSbeen taken to Tsarskoe-Selo where a church was being built,

and his body was buried there . When the soldiers knew this

they opened the grave, removed the cover of the coffin and

examined the body . They found a Holy Image in the coffin

which bore the signatures of `Alexandra,' ` Olga,' ` Ta

tiana,' ` Maria,' ` Anastasia ' and ` Ania . ' This image

was placed close to the right cheek of Rasputin . In some

way this became known to the commandant of an anti-air-

craft battery and he took the image away from the soldiers .

I saw it myself . I think the image represented the Holy

Virgin . I reported these facts by telephone to the district

headquarters, and I was instructed to take the body of Ras-

putin to the station and to ship it to Sredniaya-Rogatka,

where it was to be interred . I was told to do this in secret .

But it was impossible for me to carry out this order without

the soldiers and the population knowing what had transpired .

Later, I was told to take the body to Tsarskoe-Selo station .

This I did and had it put in a luggage van . I stationed some

soldiers in another carriage, but I did not tell them what they

had to guard .

The next day a Commissar by the name of Koupchinsky

(who was also in charge of the automobiles) forwarded me a

written order signed by the Chairman of the Council of Min-

isters . The order stated that I was to transmit the body of

Rasputin (the name was written as ` Novykh ' ) to Koup-

chinsky, so that he might take it away on a lorry to its destin-

ation . We could not do this in Tsarskoe-Selo, so we shunted

the luggage van containing the corpse to the station Pavlovsk

Second . Here we found an old packing-case, into which we

put the coffin containing Rasputin's body . The case wa

covered with mats and empty bags . Koupchinsky went wit

the body to Petrograd, but on the way the secret becam

known to the mob, who threatened to seize the corpse, so

Koupchinsky was obliged to burn it en route .



THE DEPOSITIONS OF COLONEL KOBYLINSKY 173Another incident in our peaceful life was the sudden arrival

of a stranger . This stranger came to me, introduced himself

as Maslovsky, and handed me a letter from the Executive

Committee of the Soviet of the Workmen and Soldiers' Deputies .

He wore the uniform of a Colonel . I do not remember his

personal appearance . The letter was in the nature of a

demand and ordered me to assist the bearer in the execution

of his duty . I remember that the letter was signed by

Chkheidze, a member of the Duma . It also bore an

official seal . The man who called himself Maslovsky told

me that he had been instructed by the Executive Com-

mittee to take the Emperor to the Fortress of St . Peter and

St. Paul, but I told Maslovsky that under no circumstances

would I permit him to do so . `Well, Colonel, the blood

that will now be spilt will be on your own head,' answered

Maslovsky. I said I could not help it, and he retired . I thought

he had left for good, but it appears that he went to the Palace,

where he was met by the commander of the First Regiment,

Captain Aksiuta . Maslovsky showed him the letter and told

him that he wanted to see the Emperor . After searching

Maslovsky's pockets, Aksiuta let him see the Emperor in

such a way that the Emperor would not be aware of his

scrutiny. I reported this incident to Headquarters, by whom

my actions were approved .

Kotsebue did not long occupy the position of Commandant

of the Palace . He was dismissed on account of the following

circumstance . Madame Vyrubova, a maid-of-honour to the

Empress, and a lady by the name of Dehn who wore a Red

Cross uniform, had chosen to remain with the Imperial Family

at the time when Kornilov first came there .

The soldiers learned through the servants that Kotsebue

often stayed quite a long time with Madame Vyrubova and

spoke English to her . After I heard this rumour I verified

i t . The footman (I do not remember his name) who had first



174 THE LASTDAYS OF THE ROMANOVStold the soldiers, also told me Kotsebue was often in Madame

Vyrubova's company . Fearing agitation amongst the men,

I reported what I had heard to Kornilov, who sent for Kotsebue

and forbade him to enter the Palace . I was then ordered to

undertake the duties of the Commandant of the Palace .

I had not occupied my new position for more than a week

when Paul Alexandrovich Korovichenko was appointed

Commandant of the Palace . Kor~ .richenko was a Colonel

in one of the regiments stationed in Finland . He had gradu-

ated from the Military Academy of Law, after which he had

been on active service . He had been called up for active

service at the beginning of the war . He had also some private

connexion with Kerensky, who at this period had succeeded

Prince Lvov and had relinquished his own position of Minister

of justice to Pereverzev, with whom Korovichenko was also

on very good terms .

Kerensky visited Tsarskoe-Selo several times . The first

time he arrived when Korovichenko was there . I am unable

to tell you anything about his behaviour to the Emperor, as

I was never present at their conversations . I cannot tell you

anything that Korovichenko said about it . So far as I can

remember, Tegleva told me that Kerensky always behaved

in a very courteous manner . Madame Vyrubova was arrested

during one of Kerensky's visits .

This took place when I was present . Korovichenko and I

entered Madame Vyrubova's room and Korovichenko told her

that she was to be taken at once to Petrograd . She hastily

dressed herself, and then asked our permission to say good-bye

to the Empress . This was granted . We were present at

their parting and watched what transpired from a distance.

They both spoke in English and both wept bitterly . Madame

Dehn was taken to Petrograd with Madame Vyrubova .

Korovichenko was once present at a conversation between

Kerensky and the Emperor . Kerensky told the Emperor



THE DEPOSITIONS OF COLONEL KOBYLINSKY 175that he had decided to confiscate his private papers and that

he had asked Korovichenko to carry out his instructions .

I was ordered to be present, and I distinctly remember the

excessively unpleasant scene . The private papers belonging

to the Emperor were kept in a special case . This case contained

a large number of papers tied together in neat packets . Whilst

showing us these, the Emperor took a letter from the case,

saying : ` This letter is merely a private communication . '

The Emperor by no means wanted to keep the letter from

being confiscated ; he simply picked it up as it was lying

separately from the others, and I am sure that he intended to

put it back in the case . But Korovichenko suddenly grabbed

the letter, and for a moment it seemed as if the Emperor was

pulling one side of the letter and Korovichenko was pulling

at the other . The Emperor looked very angry . He let go his

end of the letter, saying as he did so : ` Well, it appears that

I am not wanted here ; I had better go out and have a walk . '

Korovichenko took all the papers which he considered of

interest, and sent them to Kerensky . Later, he told Kerensky

and Pereverzev that he fully expected to find something to

implicate the Emperor or the Empress, and stamp them as

pro-Germans, especially as at the time this was suggested by

nearly all the newspapers . Nothing was found that could

possibly compromise either the Emperor or the Empress .

At last he discovered a telegram that had been sent in code

from the Emperor to the Empress . After some hard work in

deciphering it they made out the simple sentence : ' Feeling

well, kisses ! '

The Imperial Family did not like Korovichenko, but I

know that Korovichenko exerted every effort to please them,

and that he obtained permission for them to work in the

garden and to row on the lake . But those best disposed

towards the Imperial Family were the soldiers and officers

of the First Regiment .



176 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSFollowing an old custom the Officer of the Day on duty at

the Palace used to be given a pint of wine at Easter . This

custom was not altered, but when the soldiers heard about it

they started some agitation, and it took fifty bottles of vodka

to cool their temper !

Once the soldiers even accused Ensign Zeleny of having

kissed the Empress's hand

This last incident and the story about the wine caused a lot

of trouble, and an investigation took place .

The morale of the soldiers grew worse and worse They

became quite intoxicated by their own peculiar rendering of

the word freedom, and they began to invent all sorts of mad

demands . The worst offenders were the Second Regiment,

where not only the soldiers, but the officers behaved badly .

On one occasion an officer of the Second Regiment shouted

'We must see the Family for ourselves . As they are under

guard they must be seen . ' It was obvious that only vulgar

curiosity or a desire to inflict useless mental suffering prompted

the officer to make such a demand . My efforts to oppose

them were fruitless, and my argument that the Emperor and

the Empress would never try to escape and leave their sick

children, had no effect whatever . Fearing that they would

accomplish their purpose without myauthority, I reported this

matter to General Polovtsev, who at that time occupied

General Kornilov's position . It was, therefore, decided that

when the new Officer of the Guard relieved the old, both were

to be taken to the Emperor, when the Empress was also present .

To avoid any unnecessary embarrassment we decided to do

this just before lunch-the time when the Family were always

together . It was arranged that the outgoing officer of the

guard should then take leave of the Emperor, who, at the same

time, would receive his successor . After this had been carried

out, another very disagreeable incident took place . Whenthe men of the First Regiment were being relieved by the men



THE DEPOSITIONS OF COLONEL KOBYLINSKY 177of the Second, both captains went to see the Emperor . The

Emperor wished the captain of the departing guard good-bye,

and shook hands with him . When the Emperor stretched out

his hand to the new captain of the guard, his hand remained

outstretched, as the officer stepped backwards and didn't take

i t . Being disagreeably impressed by this behaviour, the Em-

peror went towards the officer, put both hands on his shoulders,

and said with tears in his eyes : ` Why did you do that ? '

The officer once more drew back and answered : ` I was born

of common people and when they stretched out their hand to

you, you did not take it, so now I will not shake hands with

you . ' I relate this story exactly as I heard it from the officer

of the First Regiment who witnessed this revolting incident .

As the Revolution proceeded the agitation grew deeper

amongst the soldiers . Having no opportunities to find out

anything wrong with the lives of the persons under arrest, they

tried to discover new methods of inflicting suffering upon the

Imperial Family . On one occasion they saw the Tsarevitch

carrying a small rifle . This rifle was a model of the standard

infantry rifle, and it had been presented to the Tsarevitch by

some munition works . It was absolutely harmless, as special

cartridges had to be used for it and none of the cartridges were

now available .

The trouble was started by the soldiers of the Second Regi-

ment, and all the efforts of the officer (I do not remember the

name) to persuade the men that their anger was ridiculous

were useless . In order to avoid violence he took the rifle

away from the Tsarevitch, but when I came to the Palace

Gillard and Tegleva told me the story, and added that the

Tsarevitch was crying . I ordered the rifle to be given to me,

and when I got it I took it apart, and in this way I smuggled

it back to the Tsarevitch .

Finally the soldiers and the Soviet of Tsarskoe-Selo ceased

to comply with any of my orders, and appointed Ensign Dom-

M



178 THE LAST DAYS OF THEROMANOVSodziantz, an Armenian, to execute the duties of my assistant .

He was a rough man, and he made the greatest efforts to get

into the Palace, where I tried my best to prevent him from

going . After this, he began to pass most of his time in the

park, especially when the Family were walking there . Once

the Emperor held out his hand to him, but he refused to shake

hands with the Emperor, saying he had no right to do it as he

was an assistant commandant .

After this incident was told Kerensky, he came to the Palace

at Tsarskoe-Selo and sent for the chairman of the Local Soviet

(he did not actually come about this incident, but on some

other business) . The chairman of the Soviet said to Keren-

sky : ` I want to let you know at once, Minister, that we

have elected Ensign Domodziantz to be assistant commandant

of the Palace . ' Kerensky answered : `Yes, I know, but why

was it so necessary to elect him . Couldn't you have elected

somebody else ? ' However, no changes were made, as Keren-

sky himself had no power .

It was Domodziantz who told the soldiers not to answer the

Emperor's greeting . The soldiers followed his advice, and

they were, of course, soldiers of the Second Regiment . I had

to ask the Emperor not to speak to the men, as I was losing all

control over them, so the Emperor refrained from any further

attempts at conversation .

I must in fairness state that it was not only the soldiers

who were hostile towards the Imperial Family .

People began to get frightened to show any kindly feelings

towards the Imperial Family . The Grand Duchess Olga was

very friendly with a young lady named Margaret Hitrovo, who

often came to me and asked me to deliver letters to Olga

Nikolaevna . She always used to sign her letters `Margaret

Hitrovo . ' In the same way, all the letters which were brought

me by Olga Kolzakova bore her full signature . But there were

some letters which were signed merely ' Lily' (Dehn) or



THE DEPOSITIONS OF COLONEL KOBYLINSKY 179

` Titi ' (Velichkovskaia) . I said to Miss Hitrovo : `You

always sign your letters with your full name, and so does Olga

Kolzakova, but there are others who hide their names . This

is not fair . Supposing the mail should be examined by some-

body else, and I am asked who are the writers of those letters ?

My position will then be extremely embarrassing . Please

inform the writers of these letters that I want them to call on

me . I must know who they are . ' After that I ceased receiv-

ing letters from ' Lily' or ' Titi . '

Shortly after the arrest, Count Apraksin asked permission to

resign, as his duties in the Palace were over, and his family

resided in Petrograd . By order of the Minister of justice (the

order was given to me through Kornilov) he was allowed to

leave the Palace .

I have now related everything that I remember about the

life of the Imperial Family in Tsarskoe-Selo .

I can only add that the Imperial Family received all the

newspapers that appeared as well as the English and French

magazines . Out of the Russian newspapers, I can name

Russkoe-Slovo, Russkaia-Volia, Rech, Novoe-Vyemia, Petro-

gradsky Listok, and Petyogyadskaia-Gazeta .

I will now tell you why the Imperial Family was removed

to Tobolsk . Their removal was preceded by the following

events . About a week before their departure, Kerensky arrived

at Tsarskoe-Selo . He sent for me as well as for the chairman

of the Soviet and the chairman of the Military Section of the

Tsarskoe-Selo Garrison, Ensign Efimov, who was an officer of

the Second Regiment . Kerensky said to us : ` Before speak-

ing to you I must ask you to give me your word that everything

I say will be kept secret by you. '

We gave our word to Keren-

sky . He then told us that according to the resolution of the

Council of Ministers, the Imperial Family were to be taken

away from Tsarskoe-Selo, but that the Government did not

want this to be kept a secret from the' Democratic Organiza-



18o THE LASTDAYS OF THEROMANOVStions . '

,

He also said that I was to accompany the Imperial

Family . After this I retired, but Kerensky continued his

conversation with the chairman of the Soviet and Efimov .

In about an hour's time I met Kerensky and asked him where

we were going, adding that I must give notice to the Family so

that they could prepare themselves for the journey . Kerensky

replied that he would do this himself, and he proceeded to the

Palace, where he had a personal interview with the Emperor,

but he did not give me any answer as to when and where we

were going .

I saw Kerensky about two or three times afterwards, and I

always asked him where we were going and what things were

to be taken by the Imperial Family . Kerensky did not

answer my questions, but only replied, `Tell them that they

must take plenty of warm things . '

About two days before our departure Kerensky sent for me,

and ordered me to form a detachment of men out of the First,

Second and Fourth Regiments for guard duty, and also to

appoint officers to the companies . The word ` appoint-

ment' at this time had quite a special meaning . The agita-

tion in the army was so great that we could not make appoint-

ments . The commander of a regiment had no influence what-

ever-his power was in the hands of the soldiers' committee .

Being afraid that amongst the officers selected there would

be some undesirable persons, I asked Kerensky's permission

to make my own choice of five officers for each company, out

of which two, according to the military regulations, could be

selected by the men . Kerensky agreed to this .

The evening of the same day I sent for the commander of

the regiment and the chairman of the regimental committee .

I said to them : ` A very secret and important mission is

about to take place . I want each commander of a regiment

to choose a company of ninety-six men and two officers . ' At

the same time I gave them a list of officers that I named, from




which the selection could be made . In answer to my words

the commanders of the regiments and the chairmen of the

committees of the First and Fourth Regiments merely replied

`Very well, sir . ' But the chairman of the committee of the

Second Regiment, a soldier (whose name I don't remember),

cried : ` We have made our choice. We know what sort of

mission this is . ' ` How can you possibly know when I don't

know anything about it myself ? ' I asked him . ` Certain

people have told us all about it and we have elected Ensign

Dekonsky,' he answered .

This ensign had been previously dismissed from the Fourth

Regiment by its own officers and men, but he had been taken

into the Second Regiment, and I know that at this time Ensign

Dekonsky was undoubtedly a Bolshevik . When I heard about

his election I told the chairman of the committee that Dekon-

sky should not go with us . The chairman said rudely : `Yes,

he shall . ' I went to Kerensky and told him that if Dekonsky

went to the mission I should refuse to go, and I also said that

as Kerensky was Minister of War he could easily arrange

matters . Kerensky came to Tsarskoe-Selo and sent for the

chairman of the committee, and some desperate arguments

ensued . Kerensky insisted on his demand, but the chairman

kept on repeating : `Dekonsky shall go . ' Finally Kerensky

got excited and said in a very loud voice : ` These are my

orders . ' The chairman said nothing and departed . But

when the soldiers learned that Dekonsky was not going, they

refused to go with the detachment, and in consequence the

company of the Second Regiment was composed of the very

worst elements .

On July 29 (August ii) I called on Kerensky and met the

Assistant Commissar of the Ministry of the Court, Paul Mikaelo-

vich Makarov, an engineer by profession . From their conver-

sation I understood for the first time that the Imperial Family

were to be transferred to Tobolsk . The same day Makarov



182 THE LAST DAYS OF THEROMANOVSordered Engineer Ertel, who used formerly to accompany the

Dowager Empress on her pleasure trips, to prepare a special

train for 2 a .m. on August 1 (14) .

On July 30 (August 12), the Imperial Family asked me to

bring the Znamensky Holy Image of the Virgin from the

Znamensky Church to the Palace as they wanted to hold divine

service on the birthday of Alexis Nikolaevich . I remember

that on this day as well as on the following one I had an enor-

mous amount of trouble on account of the state of mind of the

soldiers, and I personally had to fulfil all the requests of the

Imperial Family . After the question of the Holy Image was

settled I was visited by the commander of the District Forces

(at that time Ensign Kuzmin), a colonel and another man in

mufti . The latter extended his hand to me and said : ` May

I introduce myself, I was in prison in the Kresty ? ' To this

day I still remember his filthy hand .

Kuzmin and the colonel hid themselves in a room with a

door leading into the corridor, and waited there for a full hour

for the end of the service, on purpose to watch the Imperial

Family returning from church . That evening after the depar-

ture of Kuzmin and his gang, Makarov and Ilia Leonidovich

Tatishchev came to see me . Tatishchev told me that the

Emperor had asked him through Kerensky and Makarov to

share the fate of the Family . He said : ' I was rather sur-

prised, as I am not a member of the Court, but if it is the

Emperor's wish, I will not hesitate . ' The Emperor asked

Tatishchev to go instead of Benckendorff, as it was obvious

that the latter could not . He was very old and his wife was

very old and very ill . Benckendorff had married the Princess

Dolgoruky, the mother of Vasily Alexandrovich Dolgoruky,

so it happened that the stepson had to take the stepfather's

place . For a similar reason Madame Naryshkina, the lady-in-

waiting to the Empress, could not go with the Imperial Family

as she was extremely old and had inflammation of the lungs



THE DEPOSITIONS OF COLONEL KOBYLINSKY 183The same day Margaret Hitrovo called on me and made a

terrible scene, accusing me of concealing the fate of the Imperial

Family from her and stating that she had heard that they were

to be imprisoned in a fortress .

In the evening Kerensky telephoned that he would come to

Tsarskoe-Selo at midnight on August r (14) to say a few words

to the detachment of soldiers before its departure .

I spent the greater part of July 31 (August 13) in

making preparations for my departure . So far as I remember

nothing important occurred . Kerensky arrived at midnight .

The detachment was ready, and we went to inspect the First

Battalion . Kerensky said a few words to the soldiers, the

substance of which was : `You kept guard over the Imperial

Family in Tsarskoe-Selo, and you are to do the same in Tobolsk,

where the Imperial Family are to be removed according to the

resolution of the Council of Ministers . Remember, don't strike

a man when he is down . Don't behave yourselves like ruffians .

You will receive the same allowance as in the Petrograd dis-

trict, besides tobacco and soap, you will also receive a daily

allowance . '

Kerensky repeated these words to the Fourth Battalion, but

he did not visit the Second Battalion . I must draw your

attention to the fact that the soldiers of the First and Fourth

Regiments were quite different from the soldiers of the Second

Regiment . The men of the former dressed smartly and had a

large stock of clothes, but the soldiers of the Second Regiment

were men of low morale, they were dirty in their habits and

they had a much smaller supply of clothes . This difference led

to very important results . After Kerensky had said farewell

to the soldiers, he said to me: '

Now go and fetch Michael

Alexandrovich . He is at present with the Grand Duke Boris

Vladimirovich . ' I went, therefore, to the house of the Grand

Duke, where I found Boris Vladimirovich, a lady, and Michael

Alexandrovich, with his wife, and Mr . Johnson, an English



184 THELASTDAYS OF THE ROMANOVSsecretary . The three of us, Michael Alexandrovich, Mr . John-

son and myself, proceeded to the Alexandrovsky Palace . Mr .

Johnson remained in the motor-car, and Michael Alexandrovich

went to the ante-room where Kerensky and the officer of the

day awaited his arrival . All three then went to see the

Emperor. I remained in the ante-room . Suddenly Alexis

Nikolaevich ran towards me and asked : ` Is that Uncle Mimi

who has just come ? ' I answered that it was, and Alexis

Nikolaevich asked my permission to hide himself behind the

door . ` I want to see him when he goes out,' said the Tsare-

vitch . So he hid behind the door and looked through the

crack of it at Michael Alexandrovich, laughing like a child at

his ingenuity . Michael Alexandrovich talked to the Emperor

for about ten minutes and then took leave of him .

The Imperial Family left for the station at five o'clock in the

morning . Two trains were in readiness . The Imperial Family,

the people with them, their servants and a company of the

First Regiment went by the first train ; the remainder of the

soldiers and servants took the second train . The luggage was

distributed in both trains . In the first train were Vershinin,

a member of the Duma, Makarov, the engineer, and the chair-

man of the Military Section, Ensign Efimov, who had been sent

by Kerensky's wish to report to the Soviet the arrival of the

Imperial Family at Tobolsk . The places in the train were

arranged in the following manner : The Emperor occupied the

first comfortable car (of the International Co . of Sleeping

Cars), the Empress was in another, the Grand Duchesses were

in the third, Alexis Nikolaevich and Nagorny were in the

fourth . Demidova, Tegleva and Erzberg in the fifth, and

Chemodurov and Volkov occupied the sixth compartment .

In another carriage were Tatishchev and Dolgoruky ; Dr.

Botkin was in a small compartment, Schneider and her maids

Katia and Masha were together, and Gillard was in another

compartment with Hendrykova, her maid, and Mejanz



THE_ DEPOSITIONS OF COLONEL KOBYLINSKY 185In the third car were Vershinin, Makarov, myself, my A .D .C .

Lieutenant Nicholas Alexandrovich Moundel, the commander

of the First Company, Ensign Ivan Trofimovich Zima, Ensign

Vladimir Alexandrovich (I am not quite sure of his name),

and Mesiankin, but Ensign Efimov was alone in a small com-

partment, as nobody seemed inclined to travel in his company .

The fourth car contained a dining saloon in which the Imperial

Family used to have their meals, except the Empress and

Alexis Nikolaevich, who took their meals alone in the Empress's

compartment . The soldiers occupied three third-class cars .

Several luggage vans were attached to the train .

Nothing particular happened until we arrived at Perm, but

just before our arrival the train was stopped, and a big white-

bearded man who looked like a minor railway official boarded

my compartment . He introduced himself as the chairman of

the Railroad Workmen and said that the ` Tovarishch '

(Comrades) wanted to know who was in the train and would

not allow the train to proceed until their curiosity was gratified .

Vershinin and Makarov showed him the official papers with

Kerensky's signature . The train then continued its journey .

We arrived at Tiumen on the evening of August 4 or 5 (old

s t y l e , i . e . , August 17 or 18), and on the same day we went on

board two river steamers . The Imperial Family, the persons

with them, and the company of the First Regiment took their

places on the steamer Russ . Some of the servants and the

company of the Second and Fourth Regiments embarked on

the steamer Kormilets . The vessels were comfortable, but the

Kormilets was inferior to the Russ . We arrived at Tobolsk, so

far as I can remember, on the evening of August 6 (August ig)

about 5 or 6 p.m . The house selected as the residence of the

Imperial Family was not yet ready, so we spent a few days on

the boats .

When we travelled by train the train did not stop at the

large stations, but only at the intermediate ones . The Emperor



186 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSand the other passengers frequently left the train and proceeded

ahead, and the train moved slowly after them . When we were

on board the steamer we sometimes came alongside the bank at

a distance of about ten versts from the town in order that the

Family might have a walk .

During the time the Family lived on the steamers Makarov

was putting the house in order Tatishchev, Hendrykova,

Schneider, Tutelberg, Erzberg, Tegleva and Demidova arranged

the furniture . When the house was ready the Family pro-

ceeded thither, for which purpose a smart-looking carriage was

assigned the Empress . She went in this with Tatiana Niko-

laevna . All the others walked .

Two houses were assigned as the residence of the Imperial

Family, their suite and their servants . One was the Governor's

house, the other was opposite and belonged to M . Kornilov .

None of the furniture was removed from Tsarskoe-Selo,

so that the furniture of the Governor's house was used, but

some new things were ordered and bought in Tobolsk .

The only things which were taken from Tsarskoe-Selo for

the Imperial Family were some camp beds, but later a number

of things were sent on after the necessity for them was dis-

covered by Makarov .

The arrangement of the rooms was as follows : The first

floor led to the hall, and from this a corridor divided the house

into two parts ; the first room on the right-hand side was occupied

by the officer of the day . Next to it was the room occupied

by Demidova, and in this room she, Tegleva, Tuelberg and

Erzberg had their meals . The next room was occupied by

Gillard, who gave lessons to Alexis Nikolaevich, Maria Niko-

laevna and Anastasia Nikolaevna . The dining-room used by

the Imperial Family was next to this . On the left side of the

corridor opposite to the room of the officer of the day was a

room occupied by Chemodurov . Then came the pantry, and

next to the pantry was a room occupied by Tegleva and Erzberg,



THE DEPOSITIONS OF COLONEL KOBYLINSKY 187and lastly came a room occupied by Tutelberg . The staircase

above Chemodurov's room led to the upper storey and the

` work-room ' of the Emperor, next to the ` work-room ' was

the hall ; there was also another staircase leading from the hall

to the lobby . The first room on the right was the drawing-room,

next it was the Emperor and Empress's bedroom, next to their

bedroom was that of the Grand Duchesses . Opposite the draw-

ing-room was the room occupied by Alexis Nikolaevich, next to

it was the lavatory, and the bathroom was next the lavatory .

The members of the suite lived in Kornilov's house .

The following persons arrived at Tobolsk with the Imperial

Family : ( 1) Ilia Leonidovich Tatishchev, general A .D .C .

to the Emperor ; (2) Prince Alexander Vasilievich Dolgoruky ;

( 3 ) Eugene Sergeievich Botkin, physician ; (4) Countess

Anastasia Vasilievna Hendrykova, personal maid-of-honour

to the Empress ; (5) Baroness Sophie Karlovna Buxhoevden,

personal maid-of-honour to the Empress ; (6) Katherine

Adolfovna Schneider, Court reader ; (7) Pierre Andreievich

Gillard ; ( 8 ) Alexandra Alexandrovna Tegleva, nurse ; ( g )

Elizabeth Nikolaevna Erzberg, maid to the Grand Duchesses ;

(io) Maria Gustavovna Tutelberg, maid to the Empress ;

(ii) Anna Stephanovna Demidova, another maid to the Em-

press ; ( 12) Victorina Vladimirovna Nikolaeva, an adopted

child of Hendrykova's ; ( 13) Pauline Megans, Hendrykova's

maid ; (14) Tania and Masha (I do not know their surnames),

Miss Schneider's maids ; (15) Terenty Ivanovich Chemodurov,

the Emperor's valet ; (16) Stephan Makarov, assistant valet

to Chemodurov ; (17) Alexis Andreievich Volkov, an attend-

ant ; ( 18) Ivan Dmitrievich Sedneff, another attendant on the

Grand Duchesses ; (1g) Michael Karpov, the Grand Duchesses'

footman ; (20) Klementy Gregorievich Nagorny, the Tsare-

vitch's servant ; ( 21) Sergius Ivanov, Gillard's manservant ;

(22) Tiutin, manservant to Tatishchev and Dolgoruky ; ( 23)

Francis Zhuravsky, a waiter ; ( 24) Alexis Trupp, footman ;



188 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVS(25) Gregory Soloduhin, a footman ; (26) Dormidontov, a

footman ; (27) Kisselev, a footman ; (28) Ermolay Gusev,

a footman ; (2g) Ivan Michailovich Haritonov, a cook ; (30)

Kokicheff, a cook ; (31) Ivan Vereshchagin, a cook ; (32)

Leonid Sedneff, an assistant cook ; (33) Sergius Mikhailov, an

assistant cook ; (34 . ) Francis Turkovsky, an assistant cook ;

(35) Terchin, an assistant cook ; (36) Alexander Kirpitchnikov,

a clerk who performed the duties of janitor in Tobolsk ; (37)

Alexis Nikolaevich Dimitriev, a barber ; (38) Rozhkoff, in

charge of the wine cellars, and after our arrival in Tobolsk we

were joined by (39) Vladimir Nikolaevich Derevanko, physician,

and (40) Mr . Sidney Ivanovitch Gibbes .

Our life in Tobolsk went on peacefully . The restrictions

were the same as in Tsarskoe-Selo, but everybody felt much

happier .

The officer of the day remained in his own room, and nobody

interfered with the private life of the Imperial Family . They

all rose early, except the Empress . In the morning after

breakfast the Emperor took a walk and went in for some sort

of physical exercise . The children also had a walk . Every-

body did what he pleased . In the morning the Emperor used

to read and write up his diary, the children had their lessons .

The Empress read, embroidered or painted . Lunch was served

at eleven o'clock . After lunch the Family usually had a walk .

The Emperor frequently used to saw logs with Dolgoruky,

Tatishchev and Gillard, and sometimes the Grand Duchesses

took part in this . Tea was served at four o'clock, and every-

body stood at the window and watched the life of the town .

Dinner was at six, and after dinner, Tatishchev, Dolgoruky,

Botkin and Derevenko joined us and sometimes we played

cards . The only card players in the Family were the Emperor

and the Grand Duchess Olga . The Emperor occasionally used

to read aloud . Sometimes French or English plays were

staged . Tea was served at eight o'clock, and conversation



THE DEPOSITIONS OF COLONEL KOBYLINSKY 18qbecame general until eleven, but never later . After eleven

o'clock everybody retired for the night ; the Tsarevitch went

to bed at nine or thereabouts .

The Empress always dined upstairs, and sometimes the Tsare-

vitch dined with her ; the rest of the Family dined in the dining-

room .

The members of the suite and the servants were allowed to

go out of the house whenever they wanted, as they were under

no restrictions . The movements of the Imperial Family were,

of course, restricted in the same way as in Tsarskoe-Selo, and

they were only allowed to go to church . Divine service was

conducted in the following manner : Late services took

place in the house, and were performed by the clergy of Blago-

veschensky Church . The Priest, Father Vasiliev, officiated .

The Imperial Family only went outside to church for the early

services ; in order to attend these they had to go through the

garden and across the street, but sentries were stationed all

the way to the church, and strangers were not admitted .

So far as I can judge the Government tried to maintain the

conditions of life compatible with the position of the Imperial

Family . When we left Tsarskoe-Selo Kerensky said most

emphatically : `Don't forget that your charge is a former

Emperor, and he and his Family must want for nothing . '

The guard of the house was under my control, and after the

Family arrived at Tobolsk I think they got used to me and so

far as I understand they bore me no ill-will . I can state this

with perfect truth, as before their departure the Empress

received me and gave me a Holy Picture with which she

blessed me .

This peaceful life did not continue, and I can trace some

resemblance between the first periods of life in Tsarskoe-Selo

and Tobolsk . The relatively easy conditions of life in Tsarskoe-

Selo had gradually disappeared . At that time the Government

was gradually losing all the ground from under its feet, and the



igo THE LASTDAYS OF THE ROMANOVSagitation increased amongst the soldiers, whose dissatisfaction

became worse and worse . Finally, faced with the necessity of

fighting for power, and at the same time not wishing to injure

the Family, the Kerensky Government made up its mind to

transfer them from the centre of the political struggle to some

quiet spot . This turned out to be absolutely the right course .

The population of Tobolsk was well disposed towards the

Imperial Family, as when we arrived at Tobolsk, all the inhabi-

tants came on to the piers, and when the Family proceeded

towards the Governor's house it was apparent that the popula-

tion was well disposed towards them . But now most people

were afraid to show their sympathies, although they showed

their respect in secret . Many gifts were made to the Imperial

Family, mostly of food and sweets, but they received very little,

as the greater portion was eaten by the servants .

The general agitation now spread to Tobolsk, as special

attention was now given this town by all kinds of politicians,

simply because it happened to be the residence of the Imperial

Family .

I only commanded my men until September . . In Septem-

ber a commissar of the Government by the name of Vasily

Semenovich Pankratov came to Tobolsk . This man brought a

letter signed by Kerensky which stated that from now onward

I was to be subordinate to Pankratov and obey all his orders .

At the age of eighteen, Pankratov had killed a gendarme

in Kiev whilst defending a woman . For this he was court-

martialled and imprisoned in the Fortress of Schlusselburg,

where he remained in solitary confinement for fifteen years,

after which he was exiled to the Yakut District, where he lived

for twenty-seven years .

His assistant was Ensign Alexander Vladimirovich Nikolsky,

who had also been exiled to the Yakut for being a member

of the Socialist Revolutionary Party . During this time he

became friendly with Pankratov, and when Pankratov was



THE DEPOSITIONS OF COLONEL KOl3YLINSKY zgzappointed commissar to the Imperial Family he asked Nikolsky

to be his assistant .

Pankratov was a clever man with a well-developed mind,

and an extraordinarily mild disposition . Nikolsky was rough .

He had graduated from an ecclesiastical seminary and had

hardly any manners, he was as obstinate as a bull, and the

moment he made up his mind about anything, he swept all

obstacles from his path . After their arrival and when they

had seen how things were progressing, Nikolsky expressed his

surprise at the casual way in which the servants and the suite

:ame and went . ` This can't go on,' he said . `Why, they

:ould easily let in an outsider . Photos must be taken at once

Af everybody . ' I tried to persuade him not to do this, as

:he sentries knew everybody well by sight . Nikolsky answered

)itterly : ` Yes, we were once ordered by the police to have

)ur photographs taken full face and profile, and so now

! h e i r pictures shall be taken . ' He went at once to the photo-

;rapher, and photographs were taken of a number of people

mnd suitable inscriptions were placed on each photo . Alexis

Vikolaevich, who was a very mischievous boy, peeped through

,he fence and watched the proceedings, but when Nikolsky

ieard this he made a huge fuss about it . He reprimanded

:he soldier on duty and spoke very sharply to the Tsarevitch .

the boy was offended, and complained that Nikolsky had

;houted at him . The same day I asked Pankratov to try to

noderate Nikolsky's zeal .

As I stated before, Pankratov did not want to harm the

.mperial Family, but it turned out that he and Nikolsky were

argely responsible for a great deal of trouble . Not under-

standing the realities of life, and being genuine members of

he S.R . Party, they insisted upon everybody joining their

?arty, and they began to convert the soldiers to their own

) e l i e f s . They started a school where they taught soldiers

iterature and all sorts of useful knowledge, but after every



192 THELASTDAYSOF THE ROMANOVS

lesson they discussed politics with their pupils, and told them

the programme of the S .R . Party . The soldiers listened, and

the result of these lectures was that the soldiers were converted

to Bolshevism . Pankratov and Nikolsky also wanted to print

a newspaper under the title of Zemlia i Volia (Land an

Freedom) .

A man by the name of Pisarevsky lived in Tobolsk at thi

time . He was a furious democrat and an enemy to the S.R . ' s

and he therefore started a campaign against Pankratov and

Nikolsky . Pisarevsky published a newspaper called Rabochaia

Gazeta (The Workmen's Newspaper), and seeing that Pankratov

had a certain influence amongst the soldiers, Pisarevsky began

to demoralize them . Shortly after the arrival of Pankratov

and Nikolsky, our detachment was divided into two groups

the Pankratov Party and the Pisarevsky Party, or in other

words, the Bolshevists . The Bolshevist Party was composed

of the soldiers of the Second Regiment, who were poor crea-

tures with a very low standard of morality . A small numbe

of men formed a third group, or I should say, a neutral group

and most of its members were soldiers who were mobilized i

19o6 and 1907

These political campaigns resulted in the complete demorali-

zation of the soldiers, who began to act like hooligans . For-

merly they did not appear to wish to make things unpleasant

for the Imperial Family . But now they did not seem to knov

what next to demand for themselves, and as they studies

their own interests, the result was that either a member o

the Imperial Family or some of the suite had to suffer . Afirst the soldiers under the influence of the political struggle

came to me and complained : 'We have to sleep in bunks

our food is bad, but " Nikolashka " (a slang name for the Em

peror popular during the Revolution) who is under arrest ha

so much food that his cooks throw it into the pig pails . ' Athis time life in Tobolsk was not expensive . But Kerensk;




had not fulfilled his promise, and although we received Omsk

allowance and not those of the Petrograd District, the allowances

were still large enough to obtain very good food for the men .

For the purpose of avoiding further friction with the soldiers

it became necessary to take up the question of money matters

with Pignatti, the District Commissar, and increase the allow-

ance to one thousand roubles, substituting the soldiers' former

good plain food with that which was unnecessary and luxu-

rious .

As I have said before, Kerensky had promised the soldiers

some pay in addition to their previous daily allowance . The

month of November came, but no additional money was for-

warded to us . The soldiers began to grumble : ` They promise

everything and do nothing . ' ` We will help ourselves to our

daily pay . We shall demolish the shops and so obtain our

daily pay in this manner. ' Once again I visited Pignatti

and borrowed fifteen thousand roubles from him . In this

way I distributed to the soldiers, daily pay to the amount of

fifty kopeks, and so shut their mouths for a time . But the

soldiers decided to send delegates to Moscow and Petrograd

to settle the question of the daily pay, and they chose Matveiev

and Lupin as their representatives . After some time they

returned (Matveiev returned as an officer), and told the men

that the money would be forwarded from Moscow . Again I

had to go to Pignatti and beg once more for fifteen thousand

roubles, as the soldiers did not now believe in promises, and

being beyond my control, they could create any amount of

trouble .

When some of the soldiers learned from the newspapers

that the men called to the colours in 19o6-1907 had been

demobilized, they demanded their own demobilization also .

But I had most of the soldiers who were not to be demobilized

on my side, and they were easily persuaded to stay .

Then came the Bolshevist Revolution, that wild movement

N



194 THELASTDAYSOF THE ROMANOVSwhich spread throughout Russia and caused us so many suffer-

ings

The following unpleasant incident took place about this

time . Father Vasiliev, the priest who performed divine

service, was not a tactful man . Although he was very well

disposed towards the Imperial Family, he rendered them very

poor service by his subsequent behaviour . On October 24

-November 6-(before the Bolshevist Revolution), the day

of the anniversary of the accession of the Emperor to the

Throne, the Imperial Family received Holy Communion, and

the day before, after the evening service, the Imperial Family

made their confessions . Nobody took any particular notice

of divine service on this day, but Father Vasiliev most fool-

ishly ordered the church bells to ring continuously from the

time the Imperial Family left the church until they entered

the Governor's house !

On Christmas Day, the Imperial Family were present in

church during the early service, and after the service the

customary Thanksgiving prayer was read . On account of

the intense cold, I usually relieved the sentries before the end

of the service, and I only left a small number on duty by the

church. Sometimes some of the remaining soldiers entered

the church ; the older ones came to pray, but the majority

came to warm themselves . The total number of soldiers in

the church at any one time was generally very small . But

on this particular day I noticed that more soldiers than usual

were present, and I thought that the reason for this was that

Christmas Day was considered a holiday . When the thanks-

giving service was coming to an end I left the church and

ordered a soldier to call the guard . I did not re-enter the

church and I did not hear the end of the service . But after

the Imperial Family had left the church, Pankratov said to

me : 'Do you know what the priest has done ? He has read

the prayer for the prolongation of the life of the Emperor,



THE DEPOSITIONS OF COLONEL KOBYLINSKY 1 95

the Empress and the whole Family, mentioning their names

in the prayer, and directly the soldiers heard it they began

to murmur. '

Father Vasiliev's useless loyalty resulted in a

great disturbance, as the soldiers started a riot and made up

their minds to kill, or at least to arrest the officiating clergy .

It was most difficult to persuade them not to take any aggres-

sive steps and await the decision of an investigating committee .

Bishop Hermogen immediately transferred Father Vasiliev to

the Abalaksky Monastery, as the situation was so strained,

and I went to see the Bishop personally and ask him to

appoint another clergyman . After this Father Hlynov offici-

ated at the services for the Imperial Family .

The result of this fresh trouble was that the soldiers lost

all faith in my word and kept on saying : `When the service

takes place in the house, most probably there is a prayer for

the prolongation of the life of the Imperial Family . ' So the

men decided not to allow the Imperial Family to go to church,

and only allowed them to pray in the presence of a soldier . The

sole concession I was able to obtain was permission for the

Imperial Family to visit church on the Dvounadesiatye Drazd-

niky (important Holy Days in the Orthodox Church) . I was

forced to submit to the men's decision that a soldier should be

present at divine service in the Governor's house. In this

way the tactless behaviour of Father Vasiliev resulted in the

soldiers being permitted to enter the Governor's house, which

prior to this time they had not been allowed to do . Another

incident happened a little later . A soldier by the name of

Rybakov, who was present at divine service, heard the clergy-

man mention the name of Tsaritsa Alexandra (a Saint) : a

new grievance instantly arose and I had to send for Rybakov,

find a calendar, and explain to him that Tsaritsa Alexandra

did not mean the Empress Alexandra, but was only the name

of a Saint, known as Tsaritsa Alexandra .

When the demobilization of the army occurred, my rifle-men



196 THELAST DAYS OF THEROMANOVSbegan to take their discharges . To replace the old soldiers

who were leaving, some young ones were sent from the reserves

of Tsarskoe-Selo . And these soldiers, having been in the midst

of the political struggle, were now vicious and corrupt .

The Pisarevsky group increased in number and strength by

these new Bolsheviks . Finally, Pankratov (thanks to Pisarev-

sky's propaganda) was declared to be ` counter-revolutionary '

and he was dismissed by the soldiers . He left Tobolsk, and

Nikolsky went with him .

The soldiers now sent a telegram requesting the presence

of a Bolshevik Commissar in Tobolsk, but for some reason the

Commissar did not arrive .

Not knowing what other objections they could make, the

soldiers decided to forbid members of the suite to leave the

house . I tried to explain how ridiculous this was, and so the

men changed their minds and decided to let members of the

suite go out accompanied by a sentry . Finally they got tired

of this and allowed everybody to go out twice a week, but not

for longer than two hours .

On one occasion, as he wished to say good-bye to a large

number of departing soldiers, the Emperor and the Empress

ascended a small hill which had been made out of the frozen

snow for the amusement of the children . The soldiers who

remained were very angry at this and levelled the little hill

to the ground, saying that somebody might easily shoot at

the Imperial Family when they were on the top of the hill,

and that if this happened they would be held responsible .

One day the Emperor dressed himself in a ` cherkeska '

(the Caucasian tribal dress) and put a dagger in his belt . Acommotion instantly arose amongst the soldiers, who cried

`They must be searched, they carry weapons . ' I made every

effort to persuade the men not to insist upon this search . I

went to the Emperor and explained the situation and asked

him to give me the dagger (later it was taken by Rodionov) .



THE DEPOSITIONS OF COLONEL KOBYLINSKY igqDolgoruky and Gillard both handed me their swords, and those

were hung up on the wall of my office .

I have quoted Kerensky's words to me before our departure

from Tsarskoe-Selo . The Imperial Family at first was not in

need of anything in Tobolsk, but presently our money vanished

and no more arrived . We began to live on credit . I wrote to

Lieutenant-General Anichkoff, who was charged with the

Intendancy of the Court, but with no result . Finally, Hari-

tonov, the cook, began to say that he was not trusted in the

shops, and it looked as if our credit was exhausted . I went to

see the Director of the Tobolsk Branch of the National Bank,

who advised me to discuss the question with a merchant, Mr .

Xwho was a monarchist, and who had money in the bank .

By virtue of a letter of exchange endorsed by Tatishchev,

Dolgoruky and myself, the merchant advanced me twenty

thousand roubles . Of course I asked Tatishchev and Dolgoruky

to keep silent about this loan and by no means to mention it

to the Emperor or to any of the Imperial Family . But these

contretemps tried me greatly . This was hell and not life .

My nerves were strained to the limit of endurance . It was

very hard for me to beg money for the maintenance of the

Imperial Family, so that when one day the soldiers made a

new resolution that all officers must remove their shoulder-

straps, I felt I could bear no more . I knew that I had abso-

lutely lost all control of the men, and I fully realized my impo-

tence ! So I went to the Governor's house and asked Tegleva

to tell the Emperor that I begged him to receive me . The

Emperor at once received me in Tegleva's room, and I said to

him : `Your Majesty, all authority is fast slipping out of my

hands . The men have removed our shoulder-straps ! I can-

not be useful to you any more, so I wish to resign, if you do

not object . My nerves are strained . I am exhausted . ' The

Emperor put his arm on my shoulder, his eyes filled with tears .

He replied : ` I implore you to remain . Evgeni Stepanovich,



198 THELASTDAYSOF THEROMANOVSremain for my sake, for the sake of my wife and for the sake

of my children . You must stand by us . You see how all

of us are suffering . '

Then he embraced me and we kissed each other, and I

resolved to remain .

It then happened that Dorofeiev, a soldier of the Fourth

Regiment (the appearance of the detachment had completely

changed), came to me and said that at a meeting of the

Soldiers' Committee it had been decided that the Emperor

must remove his shoulder-straps, and his orders were to go

with me and remove them . I tried to persuade Dorofeiev not

to do this . He behaved most aggressively, called the Emperor

` Nikolashka ' and was extremely angry during the conversa-

tion . I pointed out that it would be very embarrassing if the

Emperor were to refuse . The soldier answered : ' If he refuses

I will tear them off . ' I then said : `But suppose he strikes

you ? ' Dorofeiev replied : `Then I will strike him also . '

What more could I do ? I started again to try and persuade

him, saying that things were not always as easy as they seemed,

and I told him that the Emperor was a cousin of the King of

England, and that very serious complications might follow .

I advised the soldiers to ask instructions from Moscow, and as

I had them on that point they went away and wired to Moscow .

I then went to see Tatishchev and asked him to beg the Em-

peror to refrain from wearing shoulder-straps in the presence

of the soldiers . After that the Emperor wore a black sheep-

skin overcoat with no shoulder-straps .

Swings had been made for the children, as the Grand Duch-

esses liked to swing, but the soldiers of the Second Regiment

who were on sentry duty, carved most indecent words on the

seats of the swings . After the Emperor had seen this the

seats were removed . This was done when Sergeant Shikunov

was the captain of the Guard . He was a Bolshevik .

I do not remember exactly which day I received a telegram



THE DEPOSITIONS OF COLONEL KOBYLINSKY iggfrom Karelin, the Commissar in charge of the former ministry

of the Imperial Court . The telegram stated that the nation

could no longer maintain the Tsar's family and that they must

support themselves, but the Soviets would give them a soldier's

ration, quarters and heat .

This was the greatest trial which the Bolsheviks inflicted

on the Imperial Family . The telegram also said that the

Family must not spend more than six hundred roubles monthly

per person . After this order, the quality of the food served

to the Family deteriorated . It also affected the suite . The

Imperial Family could no longer maintain the persons belong-

ing to their suite, so those who had no private means were

obliged to leave . A number of servants were discharged

(i) The waiter Gregorii Ivanov Solodukhin ; (2) waiter Er-

molai Gusev ; (3) Dormidontov, waiter ; (4) Kiselev, waiter ;

(5) Vereshchagin, cook ; (6) Semen Mikhailov, cook's assist-

ant ; (7) Frantz Purkovsky ; (8) Stepan Makarov, Chemo-

durov's assistant ; (g) Stupel, the valet (I forgot to mention

his name before), and some others .

As the minds of the soldiers were still occupied with the

question of their daily pay, they sent a man named Lupin,

a Bolshevik, to Moscow . When Lupin returned, he described

the situation in Moscow in rosy hues, and brought the soldiers

most encouraging news . He said that instead of the fifty kopeks

per day which they had received at the time of the Provincial

Government, they were now to get three roubles per day .

This news made Bolsheviks of all the soldiers . They said

`This shows what good fellows the Commissars are ! The

Provisional Government promised us fifty kopeks per day, but

did not pay it . The Commissars will give us three roubles

a day,' and they told this joyful news to one another .

Lupin brought back an order to arrest Tatishchev, Dolgoruky,

Benckendorff, and Schneider . He also brought the news that

our detachment was soon to be relieved, and that a new Com-



200 THE LASTDAYS OF THE ROMANOVSmissar would arrive with a new detachment . I think the

soldiers dreaded the arrival of the new Commissar . They now

decided to transfer all persons belonging to the suite to the

Governor's house, and put them under guard . All were there-

fore removed to the Governor's house except Gibbes, the

Englishman, who did not care to live with anybody else, and

so he was allowed a room outside .

New partitions were put up in the entrance room adjoining

Chemodurov's room, thereby providing room for Demidova,

Tegleva and Erzberg . Demidova's room was divided by a

curtain, and Tatishchev and Dolgoruky shared the other half .

In the room which Erzberg and Tegleva had previously occu-

pied, Schneider and two of her maids were now placed . Tutel-

berg's room was given to Hendrykova and Nikolaevna, and

Tutelberg was placed in a room under the main staircase be-

hind the partition . In this way we were able to avoid intrud-

ing upon the privacy of the Imperial Family .

Mr. Gibbes settled in a small house near the kitchen, and

every one, including the servants, was now under arrest . The

servants were only allowed to go into the town in cases of

extreme necessity .

The new Commissar duly arrived, but he was not the same

man of whom Lupin had spoken . This Commissar, who had

been sent from Omsk to supervise the life of the Imperial

Family, was a Jew named Dutzman . He took up his quarters

in Kornilov's house, but he did not take any active part in

affairs and he never came to the Governor's house . Shortly

afterwards he was elected secretary of the district Soviet,

and he stayed there permanently .

At this time the Soviet leaders were : Dutzman, a Jew

named Peissel, and a Lett named Disler . Zaslavsky also took

part in the Soviet activities . He was, so I understand, the

representative of Ekaterinburg, or -more properly of the Ural

District Soviet . The reason for his arrival was not clear to



THE DEPOSITIONS OF COLONEL KOBYLINSKY 2ox

me It seemed that the Omsk Bolsheviks were quarrelling

with the Ekaterinburg Bolsheviks, as the Omsk Bolsheviks

wished to include Tobolsk under their jurisdiction in Western

Siberia-but the Ekaterinburg people wished to include it in

the Ural District . Dutzman was an Omsk Bolshevik represen-

tative, and Zaslavsky was a representative of the Ekaterin-

burg Bolsheviks . I presume that Zaslavsky came to Tobolsk

because, even at this time, the Ekaterinburg Bolsheviks in-

tended to remove us from Tobolsk to Ekaterinburg . Mat-

veiev, a Bolshevik whom I have mentioned many times, used

frequently to visit the Soviet, and he once told me that the

Soviet wished two soldiers from each company to come and

see them. Six soldiers were delegated to do this, and these

informed me afterwards that the Soviet had decided to trans-

fer all the Tsar's family to `The Hill,' which meant to prison,

as the Tobolsk prison, which was situated on a height, was

always called `The Hill. ' I pointed out that the Tsar's

family was under the authority of the central Soviet and not

of the local Soviet, but this did not help matters . I then

advanced another argument, saying it was impossible to exe-

cute this order, as if the Imperial Family were imprisoned, it

would be necessary to transfer all the soldiers of our detach-

ment to prison also, which would not be practicable, and that

in case of an attack on the prison there would be no force

left to defend it . As our soldiers began to get troublesome,

the Soviet was obliged to change its mind, and it announced

that no decision had been arrived at, and that the Soviet had

merely made a tentative suggestion .

All of us anxiously awaited the arrival of the new Commissar .

It was rumoured that Trotzky himself was coming. Finally,

the Commissar Yakovlev arrived . He arrived at Tobolsk

in the evening of February 9 (22), and stayed in Kornilov's

house. He was accompanied by a certain Avdeiev (I looked

upon him as Yakovlev's assistant), a telegraph operator, who



202 THELAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVStransmitted Yakovlev's telegrams to Moscow and Ekaterin -

burg, and a young boy .

Yakovlev appeared to be about thirty-two or thirty-three

years of age . His hair was jet black ; he was taller than the

average, thin, but strong and muscular ; he was apparently a

Russian and he gave one the impression of being very energetic .

He dressed like a sailor ; his speech was abrupt, but his lan-

guage was suggestive of a good education . His hands were

clean and his fingers thin, and he seemed to have acquired the

training and experience usually associated with those who have

lived abroad . When he took leave of Gillard, he said : ' Bon

jour, monsieur .' This showed some knowledge of French .

Yakovlev informed me that he had lived in Finland, where

for some reason or other he had been sentenced to be hanged,

but he had succeeded in escaping, and had lived in Switzer-

land and in Germany . So far as I remember, his Christian

names were Vasily Vasilievich ; Yakovlev was his surname .

Avdeiev appeared to be about twenty-six or twenty-seven

years of age . He was of medium height and rather thin ; he

was dirty and uncouth, and he usually wore a uniform . His

face was round but not fat, and it bore no signs of drunkenness .

I forgot to mention that Yakovlev also told me he was born

in Ufa or somewhere in the Ufa district . A detachment of

Reds, consisting of cavalry and infantry, came with him to

Tobolsk, and they were all young soldiers . Yakovlev's idea

was to make us understand that as he was popular in Ufa,

and knew a large number of people, he had organized his de-

tachment there . His men were quartered partly in Korni-

lov's house and partly in the rooms occupied by my soldiers .

On the morning of April io (23) Yakovlev came to me, together

with Matveiev, and introduced himself as a Special Commissar .

Three documents were in his hands . These documents borethe imprint of the' RUSSIAN FEDERATIVE SOVIET REPUBLIC,'

and were signed by Sverdlov and Ovanesov (or Avanesov) .




the first document was addressed to me and ordered me to

-omply without delay with all requests of the Special Commis-

;ar Tovarishch (comrade) Yakovlev, who had been assigned a

nission of great importance . My refusal to execute these

)rders would result in my being instantly killed . The second

locument was addressed to the soldiers of our detachment .

Its contents were much the same as the first, and it also car-

-ied a threat of the same penalty-i . e ., court-martial by a

-evolutionary tribunal and instant death . The third docu-

nent was an identification of Yakovlev, and it stated that he

iad been assigned a special mission, but no details were given .

Without giving me any reason, Yakovlev now said that he

wished to talk to the soldiers . At eleven o'clock I therefore

assembled the men of my detachment . Yakovlev told them

:hat their representative, Tovarishch (comrade) Lupin, had been

:o Moscow, where he had petitioned for an increase in their

3aily allowance . Yakovlev had now brought the money with

aim, and every soldier was to receive three roubles per day .

After this he exhibited his paper of identification and Mat-

veiev read it aloud . The soldiers began to examine the docu-

ment and paid great attention to the official seal . But it

seemed as if they did not repose much confidence in Yakovlev .

Yakovlev felt this and began speaking about daily allowances,

t,nd he said the time of the relief of the detachment was ap-

proaching, and many similar things . Apparently he knew

how to handle a mob and how to play upon its weaknesses .

He spoke eloquently and earnestly . At the conclusion of

his speech he touched on the misunderstanding between the

soldiers and the local Soviet on account of the Soviet's deci-

sion to imprison the Imperial Family, and he promised to settle

the question . After this he went with me to see the Governor's

house . He first looked at the exterior ; then he entered the

lower floor, and then the upper . So far as I can remember, he

saw the Emperor and the Grand Duchesses in the distance,



204 THE LASTDAYS OF THE ROMANOVSas they were at that time in the courtyard . I suppose he di

not see the Empress, but I remember that, accompanied b3

Avdeiev, he visited the Tsarevich . I had the impression that

Yakovlev tried to persuade Avdeiev that the Tsarevich wa . ,

i l l . I remember that the officer on duty was Ensign Semenov .

but when Avdeiev wished to remain in his room Semeno-%

protested and succeeded in getting rid of him . Nothing els

happened during the day .

On April zz (24) Yakovlev again requested the soldiers tc

assemble .Zaslavsky, a representative of the Soviet, anc

Degtiarev, a student, came to the meeting with him . Th

student had been sent from Omsk to represent the Siberia

interests in the Tobolsk Soviet . Zaslavsky represented th

interests of the Ural District . The student began to speak tc

the soldiers . He accused Zaslavsky of unsettling them and of

spreading false rumours about the danger threatening the

Imperial Family, and in saying that a tunnel was being du€

under the house . Such rumours really existed, and once we

had passed a very disturbed night awaiting trouble . Thes

rumours originated in the Soviet, and I had first learned abou

them when I came to the Soviet at the time they had resolved

to imprison the Imperial Family, and the main argument for thi

decision was the' Danger for the Imperial Family to remain

in the Governor's house . ' Such was the substance of the stu-

dent's speech . Zaslavsky vainly tried to defend himself . Hwas hissed, and quickly disappeared . Zaslavsky came to To

bolsk about a week before Yakovlev's arrival, and left Tobolsk

about six hours before Yakovlev's departure . I will tell you

later the motive for this idea of assembling the soldiers and

why Yakovlev had to do it .

The same day at eleven o'clock in the evening, Captain

Aksiuta came to me and reported that Yakovlev had assem-

bled the committee of the detachment and announced Mintention to take the Tsar's family away from Tobolsk .



ffiE DEPOSITIONS OF COLONEL kOBYLINSKY 205

Yakovlev told the committee that not only the Emperor but

:he whole Family would have to leave . In the morning of the

12th (25th) of April, Yakovlev came to me and said that accord-

. ng to the decision of the Central Executive Committee he was

;oing to remove the Family from Tobolsk . I asked him

Why? 'and I added, `What will you do with the Tsarevich ?

Ele cannot travel as he is ill ? ' Yakovlev answered : `This

'.s the trouble . I have talked it over with the T .S . I .K. (C .E .C . )

r,nd I have received an order to leave the Family in Tobolsk

3,nd only to take the Emperor away . ' (Usually Yakovlev

,alled him the ̀former Emperor.') ` When can I see the

Family ? ' he continued . ` I intend to leave the town to-mor-

row . ' I told him that he could see the Family after lunch .

Then he left me . I went to the house and asked (so far as I

remember) Tatishchev to ask the Emperor at what time he

would receive Yakovlev and myself . The Emperor made an

appointment at two o'clock, after lunch . At two o'clock

Yakovlev and I entered the hall . The Emperor and Empress

stood in the middle of the hall, and Yakovlev stopped a little

distance away from them and bowed . Then he said : ` I

must tell you' (he was talking to the Emperor only) `that I

am the Special Representative of the Moscow Central Execu-

tive Committee, and my mission is to take all your Family

away from Tobolsk, but, as your son is ill, I have received a

second order which says that you alone must leave . ' The

Emperor replied : ` I refuse to go . ' Upon hearing this

Yakovlev said : ` I beg you not to refuse . I am compelled to

execute the order . In case of your refusal I must take you

by force or I must resign my position . In the latter case the

Committee would probably send a far less scrupulous man to

replace me . Be calm, I am responsible with my life for your

safety . If you do not want to go alone, you can take with you

any people you wish . Be ready, we are leaving to-morrow at

four o'clock . '



206 THE LASTDAYSOF THE ROMANOVSYakovlev again bowed to the Emperor and the Empres

and left their presence . At the same time the Emperor, wh

had not replied to Yakovlev's last words, turned abruptly and

accompanied by the Empress, went out of the hall . I followe

Yakovlev out . As we were going out the Emperor made a sigrr

for me to remain . I went down with Yakovlev and then re-

turned upstairs . The Emperor, the Empress, Tatishchev anc

Dolgoruky were sitting by the round table in the corner

The Emperor asked me where they intended to take him .

replied that personally I did not know, but that from some

hints which Yakovlev had dropped I thought that he intended

to take the Emperor to Moscow, and that the following rea-

sons made me think so. In the morning of the 12th (25th,

of April, Yakovlev told me that he would go on first with the

Emperor and then return to fetch the Family . I asked him

`When do you intend to come back? ' and Yakovlev answered`Well, in four or five days we shall have reached our destina-

tion . We shall remain there for a few days and then I wil :

come back . I shall be here again in about ten days or a fort-

night . ' I told the Emperor that this made me think that

Yakovlev intended to take him to Moscow . The Empero

then said : ` I suppose they want to force me to sign the

Brest-Litovsk Treaty, but I would rather cut off my right

hand than sign such a treaty . ' ` I shall also go,' said the

Empress, showing deep emotion . 'If I am not there, the

will force him to do something in exactly the same way they

did before,' and she added something about Rodzianko

Obviously the Empress referred to the Emperor's abdication

Thus ended the conversation, and I went to Kornilov's

house to see Yakovlev . He asked me who were going, and he

repeated (for the second time) that anybody who chose could

accompany the Emperor, on condition they did not take too

much luggage with them .

I returned to the house and asked Tatishchev to let me know




the persons who intended going with the Emperor . I promised

to come back for the names in an hour's time, and when I

came back Tatishchev told me that the following persons were

leaving Tobolsk : the Emperor, the Empress, the Grand

Duchess Maria, Dr. Botkin, Dolgoruky, Chemodurov, Sednev

the waiter, and Demidova the maid . When I reported these

names to Yakovlev, he answered : `It's all the same to me . '

I suppose Yakovlev's one idea was to get the Emperor out of

Tobolsk as soon as possible . When he noticed the Emperor's

unwillingness to go alone, Yakovlev doubtless thought

' Well, let him take whom he likes, so long as I get through

with my orders . ' That was the reason why he kept on repeat-

ing : ' It's all the same to me, let them take anybody they

like . ' But he did not express the second part of his thought .

He did not mention this to me, but all his actions indicated

that such was his desire . He was evidently in a great hurry,

and for this reason he gave orders to limit the amount of lug-

gage . I did not enter the house any more that day, as I

thought that they would feel happier if they were left alone .

The Family at this time was preparing for the departure . Gil-

lard told me that the Empress was extremely downhearted,

for although she was a very reserved woman, she nevertheless

worried about her decision to go with the Emperor, as it involved

leaving her beloved son behind . If the Empress had known

that they were going to take her to Ekaterinburg, why should

she have been so depressed ? Ekaterinburg is not far from

Tobolsk . But the Empress felt from Yakovlev's actions

(and so did everybody else) that he was not taking them to

Ekaterinburg, but to some distant place, probably to Moscow .

She did not believe that this removal was in order to ensure

their safety, but she thought it was for some deeper motive

connected with the interests of the State, and that once in

Moscow the Emperor would be compelled to arrive at some

very serious decisions . The Emperor shared her apprehen-



2o8 THE LASTDAYS OF THE ROMANOVSsions, and he expressed them when he spoke of the Brest-

Litovsk Treaty .

I did not sleep that night . According to Yakovlev's orders

I assembled the soldiers again in the evening, and Yakovlev

told the men that he intended to take the Emperor away from

Tobolsk, but he did not name the place, and he asked the sol-

diers to treat everything as secret .

From whom was Yakovlev hiding his intentions ? I be-

lieve that in the Local Soviet, which consisted of Pessel, Disler,

Kagomitzky, Pisarevsky and his wife, there were two opinions-

the Siberian, which considered Tobolsk within their sphere

of influence, and the Uralian, which considered Tobolsk to be

in their region . Zaslavsky represented the second opinion .

What was the real reason for his arrival in Tobolsk ? I can

never explain why he came . Many things are still a mystery

to me. I don't know whether he came to Tobolsk simply

because we were there or not . It was perfectly clear from

Yakovlev's speeches that he, Yakovlev, represented a third

power, the Central Moscow authorities ; but after he came to

Tobolsk he began to fear opposition from the Tobolsk Soviet

to the removal of the Imperial Family, and he soon settled

this matter with them . Zaslavsky was opposed to the removal,

so I think that Yakovlev asked the soldiers to keep the depar-

ture of the Imperial Family secret, because he feared that the

local authorities would not allow them to be taken away . I

am persuaded that Yakovlev, being a representative of the

third power, worked in accordance with its orders and carried

out his instructions from Moscow, and I also believe it was

originally intended to take the Imperial Family thither .

The soldiers were confused and disturbed by Yakovlev's

anxiety for secrecy . I noticed they were afraid lest some evil

might befall them in consequence of all that was going on .

They said they must also go with the Emperor, and they told

Yakovlev this .




Yakovlev at first refused, saying that his own detachment

was quite reliable . But finally he made a compromise, and a

small detachment of six men from our soldiers was selected

to escort the Emperor .

At four o'clock a .m . the Siberian plaited carriages (Koshevy)

were in readiness . One carriage had a hood, but the seat was

made of straw which was tied with string to the body of the

carriage . The Emperor, the Empress and all the other per-

sons then left the house . The Emperor embraced me and

kissed me . The Empress gave me her hand . Yakovlev

seated himself in the same carriage as the Emperor, and the

Empress took her seat with the Grand Duchess Maria . Dol-

goruky was with Botkin, Chemodurov with Sednev . The

departing detachment was partly composed of our soldiers,

but they were mostly those of Yakovlev . Two machine-guns

went with the detachment . A number of cavalry from Yak-

ovlev's detachment also accompanied the party . There were

also some carriages with the luggage . The carriages started

about four o'clock . After their departure everybody in the

house had a strange feeling of distress and sadness . I noticed

that even the soldiers were sad, and they began to behave more

humanely to the Emperor's children . Afterwards, when I

was in Tiumen, one of the coachmen who accompanied the

Imperial party told me that as soon as they reached the posting

stations the horses were immediately changed and the journey

;ontinued without any delay . Once the horses were changed

n the village of Pokrovskoe, where the posting station was

situated opposite a house which once belonged to Rasputin .

was told that his wife was standing outside the house and

its daughter was looking out of a window and both of them

nade the sign of the Cross to the Tsar's family .

I had asked two soldiers, Lebedev and Nabokov (who were

rood sort of men), to telegraph me along the route how things

vere proceeding. I received a telegram from Lebedev sent0



210 THE LASTDAYSOF THE ROMANOVS

from the village of Ivlevo . Nabokov telegraphed me fro

Pokrovskoe . Both of their telegrams were very brief : ` Pro

ceeding safely . ' One telegram was sent from a railway sta

tion : `Proceeding safely . God bless you ; how is the littl

one ? Yakovlev . ' Of course this telegram was really sen

by the Emperor or the Empress with Yakovlev's permissio

On April 20 (May 3) the committee of our detachmen

received a telegram from Matveiev, who informed it of thei

arrival at Ekaterinburg . I cannot remember the exact word

of the telegram, but we were all greatly surprised at the con

tents, as we had fully believed that the Emperor and Empres

had been taken to Moscow and not to Ekaterinburg . We no

began to look for the return of the soldiers from the escortin ;

detachment .

When Lebedev and Nabokov returned they told me th

upon their arrival at Tiumen, the Emperor, the Empress an

the other persons were placed in a passenger compartmen

which was guarded by our six soldiers . From Tiumen the :

proceeded in the direction of Ekaterinburg . At one statio :

they were informed that they would not be allowed to procee

beyond Ekaterinburg, where they would be detained . Zaslavsk

had left Tobolsk a few hours before Yakovlev, and had, I sur

pose, informed the Ekaterinburg Soviet of the departure c

the Imperial Family from Tobolsk . Upon hearing this nem

Yakovlev turned the train back to Omsk in order to go fo

ward via Ufa and Cheliabinsk, but I understood from Nabokc

that when the train was approaching Omsk, it was again stopper

and Yakovlev went to find out what was happening . }then learnt that Ekaterinburg had notified Omsk that he hi

been declared an outlaw on account of his intention to tal

the Tsar's family to Japan ! Yakovlev went at once to Om,

and got into communication with Moscow . On his return l

announced : ` I have orders to go to Ekaterinburg . '

When they arrived in Ekaterinburg the Emperor, t :




Empress, the Grand Duchess Maria, Dr. Botkin, Chemo-

durov, Sednev and Demidova were placed in Ipatiev's house .

Dolgoruky was taken away to prison . All our soldiers were

kept on the train and later disarmed and arrested, but they

were speedily released . Each arrested soldier was treated

differently . Lebedev and Nabokov were treated much worse

than the others . Matveiev and some of the others a little

better . They were all released at different times . On one

occasion Matveiev went (for what purpose I do not know) to

see Goloshchekin and Beloborodov . When all of the soldiers

had been released they were placed in a railway carriage in

order to return to Tobolsk . Yakovlev than came to see them

and told them that he had resigned his position and was going

back to Moscow, and he advised the soldiers to go with him and

report everything that had happened . It was clear that

Yakovlev regarded the hold-up of the train at Ekaterinburg

as an act of insubordination on the part of the Ekaterinburg

Bolsheviks . The soldiers said that Yakovlev finally left them

and went to Moscow alone . I think I can explain these events

in this way . Ekaterinburg was a centre of widespread Bol-

shevism, and it was the capital of the whole Ural region-

' the Red Ekaterinburg . ' I have heard that Moscow had

reproached the Ekaterinburg Bolsheviks for spending too

much money and threatened that they would stop sending

money if it were not expended more economically . Wishing

therefore to safeguard their own interests, the Ekaterinburg

Bolsheviks detained the Imperial Family in Ekaterinburg as

hostages, in order to make Moscow more amenable to their

demands. Possibly I may be mistaken, but such is my im-

pression .

The telegraph operator in Tobolsk who remained after Yak-

ovlev's departure received a telegram from Yakovlev which

read as follows : 'Take the detachment with you and depart .

I have resigned and I am not responsible for any consequences . '



212 THELAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSA party of Yakovlev's detachment still remained in Tobolsk,

and that is why Yakovlev sent the telegram . The telegraph

operator, a very young man, and the soldiers of the detachment

then departed . I don't know where they went . Avdeiev left

Tobolsk before Yakovlev, as he had been sent by Yakovlev to

prepare a train for the Imperial Family .

Some time elapsed before our committee received a tele-

gram from Moscow, and when it came it announced that

Yakovlev had been replaced by Hohriakov . Touching the

arrival of Hohriakov in Tobolsk, I can tell you the following

There were no real Bolsheviks in the Tobolsk Soviet . The

leaders were mostly Socialist-Revolutionaries, as at this time

the Soviets almost everywhere consisted of Communists .

Nikolsky was once temporary chairman of the Soviet, and

later Dimitriev ; a special 'Commissar' came from Omsk to

Tobolsk with the intention of creating a Bolshevist organiza-

tion . A special detachment of soldiers arrived from Omsk

with him . At the same time Ekaterinburg claimed that

Tobolsk was within their jurisdiction, so another detachment

arrived from Tiumen . But Dimitriev, as the representative

of Siberian opinion, had the upper hand, and the Tiumen de-

tachment left . Having arranged the Bolshevist organiza-

tion, Dimitriev returned to Omsk . During this period of the

organization of the Soviet rule in Tobolsk, Hohriakov was the

first chairman of the Soviet . In those days Bolshevist detach-

ments arrived at Tobolsk from different places . A detachment

of Letts was also formed there . Long before the Imperial

Family left Tobolsk the Letts were already there, and had

created an unpleasant impression by the rough way in which

they had searched the Baroness Buxhoevden . I do not know

who was their commander, but he apparently did not please

Hohriakov, and so he was relieved by Rodionov, who came

from Ekaterinburg . A short time after Hohriakov took up

his appointment and replaced Yakovlev as Commissar, he




received a telegram from Moscow which instructed him to

remove all the remaining members of the Family to Ekaterin-

burg . I must not forget to mention that after having been

appointed Commissar, Hohriakov ordered Rodionov to come

from Ekaterinburg to Tobolsk and take charge of the Imperial

Family, but not of the Tobolsk district . Hohriakov did not

act as chairman of the District Soviet, but he was a special

Commissar who supervised the life of the Imperial Family .

Some time after he was appointed Commissar, but before our

detachment was relieved by Letts, I went to the Governor's

house . Our soldiers were on sentry duty, but they did not

allow me to enter, saying that this was Hohriakov's order . I

asked Hohriakov what this meant . `They did not under-

stand me,' he answered . For several days after this I con-

tinued to visit the house . But shortly after Rodionov's arrival

our guards were relieved by the Letts, who occupied all the

sentry posts, and I was not allowed to enter the house . This

was a few days before the Family left . I also remember that

upon his arrival Rodionov came to the Governor's house and

assembled the members of the Family ; in fact it was a regular

r o l l - c a l l . This surprised me very much . I was afterwards

told that the Letts behaved themselves most disgracefully .

Once after divine service had taken place in the house,

they searched the priest and the nuns in a very indecent

manner and touched everything in the sanctuary . Rodionov

placed one Lett on duty near the sanctuary to watch the

priest . This created such unhappiness that the Grand Duchess

Olga wept and said that if she had known beforehand that this

sort of thing would happen she would never have made a

request for divine service .

After I was not allowed to enter the house my nerves gave

way and I became ill and had to remain in bed . The Family

left Tobolsk on May 7 (20) . I was unable to leave my

bed and I could not bid them farewell . The following per-



214 THE LASTDAYS OF THE ROMANOVSsons went with them to Ekaterinburg : ( 1) Tatishchev ; ( 2)

Derevenko, (3) Hendrykova, (4) Buxhoevden, (5) Schneider,

(6) Gillard, (7) Gibbes, (8) Tegleva, (9) Erzberg, (1o) Tutelberg,

(11) Mejantz, (12) Katia, (13) Masha, (14) Volkov, (15) Nagorny,

(16) Ivanov, (17) Tutin, (18) Zhuravsky, (19) Trupp, (2o) Hari-

tonov, (21) Kokichev, and (22) Leonid Sednev .

Soon after we had been transferred to Tobolsk from Tsar-

skoe-Selo two maids, Anna Utkina and Anne Pavlovna Ro-

manova, joined us, but the soldiers did not allow them to

enter the Governor's house . They remained at Tobolsk anddid not go to Ekaterinburg . I do not know where Hohriakov

came from . He was not educated and his capacities were not

of a very high order . Previously he had been a stoker on a

battleship, the Alexander II He usually wore a black

leather suit .

Neither do I know the origin of Rodionov . He was about

twenty-eight or thirty years of age, under medium height,

uneducated, and he always impressed people unfavourably .

He seemed to be a cruel and cunning man . Baroness Bux-

hoevden assured us that she had seen him during her travels

abroad and that she had met him once at a frontier station

wearing the uniform of a Russian gendarme . We still felt a

little of the gendarme in him, though he was not at all a good

type of gendarme ; he was, in fact, rather a cruel man with the

manners of a secret service agent . After his arrival, Rodionov

searched Nagorny when the latter returned to his house from

the train . He found a letter from Dr . Derevenko's son to the

Tsarevich, and he reported this to Hohriakov, saying, `This

is a nice sort of man ; he told me that he had nothing, but I

found the letter. ' Then, addressing me, he added, ` I am

sure that during your time, any quantity of things must have

been smuggled in . ' Hohriakov was quite pleased and said,

I have been watching this rascal for quite a long time ; he is

a disgrace to us . ' This is what the sailor Hohriakov said




about the sailor Nagorny. It could not be otherwise . One

was `the beauty and the pride of the Russian Revolution,'

for so Trotzky used to call the sailors of the Baltic Fleet who

had murdered their officers . And the other was a man de-

voted to the Imperial Family, who loved the Tsarevich and who

was loved by him. And for this reason he perished . Sednev

surely also perished for being ` a disgrace,' as he was also a

sailor and devoted to the Imperial Family .

After the departure of the Imperial Family I was cut off from

all news for a long time, and nobody could tell me anything

about them . In June, Omsk was taken from the Reds . The

Omsk Bolsheviks escaped on steamers and came to Tobolsk

Our Tobolsk Bolsheviks also fled with them . All power in

Tobolsk was in the hands of the officers, but Tiumen remained

in the hands of the Bolsheviks . A fighting line separated us .

I then heard news of Hohriakov . He appears to have been in

command of something on the river near Pokrovskoe, and it is

said that Matveiev was also in command . Tegleva told me

afterwards that Hohriakov was not allowed in Ipatiev's house

although he was a Commissar . When Tiumen was taken, most

of the people who had left Tobolsk with the Imperial Family

returned, except the following : ( 1) Dolgoruky, (2) Tatishchev,

(3) Derevenko, (4) Hendrykova, (5) Botkin, (6) Schneider,

(7) Tegleva, (8) Erzberg, (g) Tutelberg, (1o) Volkov, (ii)

Nagorny, (12) Chemodurov, (13) Sednev, (14) Trupp, (15)

Haritonov, (16) Leonid Sednev, (17) Ivanov .

The refugees told us that during the journey to Ekaterinburg

they were treated in a disgraceful manner . Whilst they were

on the steamer, Rodionov forbade them to lock the cabin doors

from the inside, but Nagorny and the Tsarevich were locked

in from the outside . Nagorny was very angry at this and

quarrelled with Rodionov, telling him that it was inhuman to

treat a sick child in this way . (Even in Tobolsk, Rodionov

displayed the same attitude and would not allow the Grand



216 THELAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSDuchess Olga to lock the door of her bedroom or even to shut

i t . )

When the train arrived in Ekaterinburg the Tsarevich, the

Grand Duchesses Olga, Maria, Tatiana and Anastasia were

transferred to Ipatiev's house . The Emperor and Empress

had also been transferred there, with the persons who accom-

panied them, except Dolgoruky, who was taken to prison .

When the children came to Ekaterinburg, Tatishchev, Hendry-

kova, Schneider and Volkov were immediately arrested . I

heard later from Gillard that Sednev and Nagorny were also

removed from the house . Gillard and Gibbes both witnessed

this . Derevenko remained in Ekaterinburg . Tegleva, Erz-

berg and Ivanov stayed in Tiumen, and Tutelburg at Kam-

yshlov . The following persons remained in Ipatiev's house with

the Imperial Family : Chemodurov, Sednev (a boy), Trupp,

Haritonov, Demidova and Botkin .

Some time after Ekaterinburg was taken, Chemodurov came

to Tobolsk . I saw him and talked with him. He came to

Tobolsk a destitute, aged man, broken down with mental

suffering . He died quite recently . His conversation was

incoherent . He could only answer questions, and then his

answers were sometimes contradictory . I will tell you the

outstanding points of his conversation . It appeared that after

their arrival at Ipatiev's house the Emperor, Empress and the

Grand Duchess Maria were searched in a very rough manner .

The Emperor lost his temper and protested . He was informed

rudely that he was a prisoner, and that he had no right to pro-

test . Chemodurov noticed that Avdeiev was the senior guard .

The meals were very bad . Dinner was brought from a cheap

restaurant and it was always late, sometimes at three or four

o'clock instead of one . The Family dined with the servants .

The saucepan or baking-dish was put on the table . There was

a lack of spoons, knives and forks . The Red soldiers sometimes

came in during dinner, and a soldier would often help himself




to the soup, saying, `There is enough for you, so I will take

some myself. ' The Grand Duchesses slept on the floor, as

there were no beds for them . Roll-calls were frequently made .

When the Grand Duchesses went to the lavatory the Red sol-

diers followed them, saying they did so on purpose to guard

them . According to Chemodurov, who was not able to give

the whole account as he was so depressed, it was clear that the

august Family was constantly subjected to the most intense

moral tortures, but Chemodurov did not believe that the Family

had been killed . He said that Botkin, Haritonov, Demidova

and Trupp were killed, and that the Family had been taken

away ; he told me that by killing the aforementioned people

the soldiers simulated the murder of the Family, and for the

same reason the house was dismantled . Some of the things

were burned and others were thrown into the waste basket . I

remember he told me that somebody had found pieces of a Holy

Image and an Order of St . Vladimir which was always worn

by Dr. Botkin .

Shortly after this Volkov came to Tobolsk . He said that

Hendrykova, Schneider and himself had been taken from the

train at Ekaterinburg and sent to prison . From thence they

were transferred to a prison in Perm. Afterwards they were

led out to be shot, but he escaped on the way. The others

were all executed .

In Tobolsk I heard for the first time about the murder of the

Imperial Family . I saw it in the Omsk newspaper Zaria, or

perhaps in a Tobolsk newspaper Narodnoe-Slovo . The Bol-

shevist communication described the 'execution' of `the

Emperor Nicholas the Sanguinary . '

With regard to the private life and character of the members

of the Imperial Family, I can state from my personal know-

ledge that the Emperor was a very clever, well-informed man,

and he was most interesting to talk to, as he had a remarkable

memory. He was very fond of physical labour and could not



218 THE LAST DAYS OF THEROMANOVSkeep in good health without it . He was very modest in his

requirements . Even in Tsarskoe-Selo I saw him wearing old

trousers and worn boots . He drank very little, and during

dinner he only drank one glass of port or Madeira . He liked

simple Russian dishes such as borshch, shchi and kasha . I

remember one day that he came to the wine cellar and ordered

Rojkov to give me some cognac, saying, `You know I don't

drink cognac myself . ' I never saw him drink anything except

port or Madeira . He was very religious . He hated all Ger-

mans . His most striking characteristics were kindness and

clemency . He was exceptionally kind ; he never wished to

cause any one pain . This always impressed people who, like

myself, found him modest and frank . He always behaved in

a very natural manner . In Tobolsk he played 'chequers'

with the soldiers, and I am sure that many of the soldiers were

well disposed towards the Imperial Family . I remember that

when the soldiers (the good ones) were leaving Tobolsk they

went secretly to the Emperor to bid him farewell . The Em-

peror believed that the Russian was a mild, kind-hearted fellow

who did not understand many things, but that it was easy to

impress him and influence him by kindness . The Tsar himself

was of this type . I often pitied him for this delusion, as the

soldiers frequently acted like hooligans in the absence of the

Imperial Family and often made improper jokes about them .

But they were afraid to do so in their presence .

The Tsar loved Russia, and more than once I heard him

express his fear lest he should be sent away from Russia . Hedid not understand art, but he liked nature and shooting . It

was absolutely painful to him to abstain from shooting for any

length of time, and he disliked to be obliged to spend his time

indoors . His character was weak, and therefore he was in-

fluenced by his wife . I noticed that even when he was con-

sulted about minor details, his usual answer was, ` I will ask

my wife ; her wishes are mine . '




The Empress was very clever but extremely reserved . Her

main characteristic was her love of power . She looked every

inch an Empress . When you spoke to the Emperor there were

moments when you forgot you were speaking to the Tsar, but

when you spoke to the Empress the feeling that she was one of

the Imperial Family never left you . Owing to her character

she always took the lead in Family affairs . The Empress felt

their humiliating position much more keenly than the Em-

peror, and everybody noticed how rapidly she aged . She spoke

and wrote Russian very correctly, and she also loved Russia .

Like the Emperor, she dreaded being exiled from Russia .

She had a talent for painting and embroidery . You could not

discern much of the German in her ; in fact, you might have

thought that she had been born in a very different country .

This was explained by her education, as, after her mother's

death, she had been educated in England by her grandmother,

Queen Victoria . I never heard her say a single German word .

She used to speak Russian, English and French . There was no

doubt of her bad health, and Dr . Botkin explained the nature

of it to me . As she was the daughter of the Grand Duke of

Hesse, she had inherited a family weakness of the blood vessels .

This malady sometimes produced paralysis, following a fall from

which the Tsarevich was suffering . The men of the family

usually shook off the hereditary complaint at the time of their

maturity, when this trouble entirely disappeared . With the

women the illness started after the critical period, when they

often suffered from progressive hysteria . It was quite clear

that the Empress suffered from hysteria . Botkin explained to

me that this was the origin of her religious ecstasy . All her

activities and all her thoughts were influenced by religious

motives, and there was always an element of religion in her life.

Whenever she gave a present to anybody, it always bore the

inscription : ` God bless you and protect you,' or something

similar . There is no doubt that she loved her husband, but she



220 THELAST DAYSOF THE ROMANOVSloved him not as a woman loves a man, but merely as the father

of her children . She loved all her children, but she adored

her son .

The Grand Duchess Olga was a nice-looking young blonde of

about twenty-three ; her type was Russian . She was fond of

reading, she was clever, well developed mentally, and she spoke

English well and German badly . She had some talent for art,

she played the piano and sang (she learnt singing in Petrograd ;

her voice was soprano), and she painted well . She was very

modest and she did not care for luxury .

Her clothes were simple and she restrained her sisters from

extravagance in dress . She gave me the impression of a good,

generous-hearted Russian girl . It seemed as if she had had

some sorrows in her life, and she still bore traces of them . Sheloved her father more than she loved her mother ; she also

loved her brother, and called him `the Little One ' or ' the

Baby. '

The Grand Duchess Tatiana was about twenty years of age .

She was quite different from her sisters . You could recognize

her mother in her . You felt that she was the daughter of an

Emperor She had no liking for art. When the Emperor and

Empress left Tobolsk nobody would ever have thought that the

Grand Duchess Olga was the senior of the remaining members

of the Imperial Family, as if any questions arose it was always

Tatiana who was appealed to . She was dearer to her mother

than the other children, and she loved her mother more than

she did her father .

The Grand Duchess Maria was aged eighteen . She was tall,

strong, and much better looking than her sisters . She painted

well and she was a most amiable girl . She always used to talk

to the soldiers and knew the names of their wives, the number

of their children and the amount of land they owned . All

intimate affairs were always known to her . Like the Grand

Duchess Olga, she loved her father more than anybody . On




account of her simplicity and her affability she was given the

pet name of ` Mashka . ' And she was always called ` Mashka'

by her brother and her sisters .

The Grand Duchess Anastasia was seventeen . She was over-

developed for her age, short and too stout in proportion to her

height . Her chief characteristic was seeing the weak points

in other people and making fun of them . She was a born

comedian and always made everybody laugh . She preferred

her father to her mother, and she loved Maria Nikolaievna

more than her other sisters .

All the Grand Duchesses were nice, modest, innocent girls .

There is no doubt they were much cleaner in their thoughts

than the majority of girls are nowadays .

The Tsarevich was the idol of the whole family . He was

only a child and his character was not developed, but he was

a very clever, capable and lively boy . He spoke Russian,

French and English, but he did not know a word of German .

I can truthfully say that the Imperial Family all loved each

other and were so contented with their family life that they

never wanted the society of others . I have never seen, and

I shall `probably never again see, such a happy and united

family .

The time will come when the Russian people will realize

what terrible tortures this family was subjected to, from the

first days of the Revolution when the newspapers published

scandalous stories about their private life . Take, for instance,

the story of Rasputin . I had many talks about this with Dr .

Botkin, who insisted that the Empress suffered from hysteria,

which induced religious ecstasy . Besides, when her only and

beloved son was ill, there seemed no one who could help him

but Rasputin, so a mother's sorrow and her religious ecstasy

created the cult of Rasputin . Rasputin was a saint to her,

and as she had great influence over her husband, she converted

him to her ideas in this matter . After I lived with the Family



222 THELASTDAYS OF THE ROMANOVSand was closely associated with them, I fully understood how

unjust the stories and the insults were that were heaped upon

them . The Empress Alexandra, as a woman, had long ceased

to exist . One can imagine what she and her children suffered

when they read the Russian newspapers !

They were even accused of treachery in favour of Germany .

I have already explained the feelings of the Emperor towards

the Germans. The Empress hated Wilhelm . She often said,

` I am accused of liking and of helping the Germans, but no-

body knows how I hate Wilhelm for all the evil he has brought

on my country . ' She had Germany and not Russia in her

mind when she used the word `country . ' Tatishchev told me

that once when she was talking to him about the confusion in

Russia, she prophesied that the same thing would eventually

happen in Germany . The Grand Duchesses evinced the same

bad feeling towards the Emperor Wilhelm, and I remember

that they gave to the servants all the presents which they had

received from Wilhelm during his visit to their yacht .

I cannot remember anything else except that the Emperor

used to keep a diary, but I cannot say whether the Empress

kept one or not . All the Grand Duchesses used to keep

diaries, but before their departure from Tobolsk, Maria and

Anastasia destroyed theirs .

I read in a newspaper that whilst the Emperor was in prison

in Ekaterinburg somebody came to him and offered to save

him, on certain conditions . But when the Emperor learnt that

the man had been sent by the Emperor Wilhelm, he refused to

parley with him . I cannot say from whence the Letts who

arrived at Tobolsk came . But the Lett detachment which took

the children from Tobolsk never returned. Hohriakov also

failed to return .

Miss Hitrovo visited Tobolsk . She was quite a young girl,

and she adored the Grand Duchess Olga . Her arrival created

a whole story that was taken up and exaggerated by all the




newspapers. She was searched, but nothing compromising

was discovered on her .

My testimony has been read to me and it is correct .

(Signed) EUGENE STEPANOVICH KOBYLINSKY(Signed) N SOKOLOV



THE DEPOSITION OF M. GILLARD

MGILLARD was attached to the Imperial Household

in the capacity of French tutor to the Grand Duchesses

and the Tsarevich . He was with the Family at Tsarskoe-Selo

at the outbreak of the Revolution, and like other members

of the Household, he elected to remain under arrest. MGillard especially mentions the Emperor's love for his country

and his bitterness of heart after the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk,

and he insists that the attitude of the Emperor and the Empress

towards Germany was one of hatred and contempt .

M. Gillard's deposition is important inasmuch as it includes

a conversation which he had with Chemodurov in the latter

part of August, 1918 . Chemodurov then believed that the

Imperial Family had not been murdered, but had been removed

to an unknown destination . M. Gillard did not, however,

place much reliance in this statement . He describes his visit

to Ipatiev's house, and relates a curious superstition of the

Empress, who seems to have placed credence in the efficacy

of two Egyptian symbols as luck bringers .

On March 5, zg1g, the Investigating Magistrate for Cases

of Special Importance of the Omsk Tribunal, in conformity

with Paragraph 443 of the Code of Criminal Law Procedure,

examined the undermentioned in the capacity of a witness,

notifying him that during the investigation he might be

put on his oath .

224



THE DEPOSITION OF M. GILLARD 225

Replying to the questions put to him, the witness gave his

name as

PIERRE ANDREIEVICH GILLARD,and said : Since the year 1905 I have given French lessons to

the daughters of His Majesty, and in 1912 I began to teach

French to the Grand Duke Alexis . I began these lessons in

Spala, but shortly afterwards they were interrupted, as the

Grand Duke met with an accident . I heard about this from

the other people who were attached to the Emperor's family .

It seemed that the Grand Duke Alexis, whilst swimming in a

bathing pool, slipped and hurt his stomach . The result of

this accident caused temporary paralysis of the foot . He

was ill for a very long time, and in consequence, all his studies

were interrupted . They were, however, resumed in 1913, at

which time I became assistant tutor to the Grand Duke .

I then lived in the Palace, where I occupied the rooms next

those of the Tsarevich . In 1913 he went to the Crimea, and

after that we came to Tsarskoe-Selo . In the spring of 1913

we went to the Crimea, Constance and Finland . From Fin-

land we returned to Peterhof, in order to meet M . Poincare,

the French President . The Imperial Family resided at Peter-

hof at the beginning of the war .

In 1915 we were at Tsarskoe-Selo until the Emperor assumed

supreme command of the Army . During this time I often

went with the Tsarevich to the Stavka (General Army Head-

quarters) and to most of the places where the Emperor took

his son .

At the outbreak of the Revolution the Emperor was at the

Stavka and his Family were at Tsarskoe-Selo . The Imperial

Family experienced much anxiety during this period, as the

children all had the measles . At first the Tsarevich fell ill,

and later all the Grand Duchesses took the complaint in succes-

sion . Everybody was worried by the uncertainty of the

situation and the ignorance of the fate of the Emperor . AP



226 THE LAST DAYSOF THE ROMANOVSvery unsettled feeling existed amongst the Guards Rifles who

were quartered in Tsarskoe-Selo . One night in particular wa

most alarming, but fortunately the commotion amongst the

soldiers was calmed by the officers .

The Emperor's abdication on behalf of the Tsarevich was

notified the Imperial Family by the General in Command o

the Svodny (combined) Guard Regiment . Later the Gran

Duke Dmitri Pavlovich came to the Palace and officially

announced to Her Majesty the news of the Emperor's abdica-

tion .

General Kornilov also came to the Palace and informed the

Empress that she must consider herself under arrest . Afte

General Kornilov's arrival Her Majesty instructed me to sa

that every one could leave the Palace except those who cared

to stay of their own free will, and who would consequently

have to submit to the conditions imposed on those who were

already under arrest . Nearly everybody chose to remain,

and so did I. During this time the Grand Duchess Mari

Nikolaievna was taken ill with inflammation of the lungs,

and a little later the Emperor arrived at Tsarskoe-Selo .

The restrictions imposed upon the Imperial Family con-

sisted in certain limitations of their freedom . The Palace

was surrounded by sentries . The 'prisoners' were only

allowed to walk in the park for a fixed time, and they were

always accompanied by a sentry . All the mail passed through

the hands of the Commandant of the Palace . Kotsebue wa:

the first Commandant . He was replaced by Korovichenko

who in turn was replaced by Kobylinsky, who was formerly

in command of the garrison .

Kerensky came to Tsarskoe-Selo on several occasions. Hf

visited us in his capacity of the Head of the new Governmeni

in order to observe our conditions of life . His manners anc

attitude towards the Emperor were cold and official . Hi!

behaviour gave me the impression of the treatment of ar




accused person by a judge who i s convinced of his guilt . Never-

theless, I must admit that Kerensky was always courteous .

When addressing the Emperor he called His Majesty Nicholas

Alexandrovich . At the same time I noticed that Kerensky,

like everybody else, avoided calling the Emperor by his name ;

it seemed as though it embarrassed them to address him as

Nicholas Alexandrovich .

Kerensky once came to the Palace with Korovichenko and

Kobylinsky, and confiscated all the Emperor's private papers .

I am sure that directly Kerensky had gone through thesepapers he knew that the Emperor was innocent of wrong to

his country, and he immediately changed his attitude and his

manner towards the Emperor .

During the stay of the Imperial Family in Tsarskoe-Selo

several disagreeable incidents occurred . The first was the

confiscation of a toy rifle belonging to the Tsarevich, which

was taken away at the request of the soldiers . The second

incident was the refusal of the soldiers to answer the Emperor's

greeting . The Emperor always addressed the soldiers with

some few words of greeting, and even after the Emperor's

abdication the soldiers used to answer, ` Sdrdstvuite Gospodin

Polk6vnik ' ( Good day, Colonel) . But on one occasion, after

having been spoken to by the Emperor, the soldiers remained

silent . It appeared, however, that this was by order of some

assistant commandant of the Palace, whose name I do not

remember.

Sometimes the Imperial Family had to wait a considerable

time in the semi-circular hall where they used to assemble

before taking the walk in the park . But it was the guards

who were late and who kept everybody else waiting .

However, these incidents were mere trifles in comparison

with the sufferings which were inflicted later on the Imperial

Family.

In the middle of July it became known (how, I cannot tell)



228 THE LASTDAYSOF THE ROMANOVSthat the Emperor and the Imperial Family were about to

change their residence from Tsarskoe-Selo to some other

place . At first it was rumoured that a voyage was to be

taken to the South, but later it transpired that we were to

proceed to Tobolsk .

This step was due to the fears of the Government for the

safety of the Imperial Family . At this time the Government

intended taking a firm course in handling the affairs of the

nation, but it feared that such a policy would create some

outburst amongst the population which would have to be

checked by armed force . Thinking, therefore, that in the

course of the coming struggle we might also suffer, the Govern-

ment decided to send the Imperial Family to a more tranquil

environment than the immediate vicinity of Petrograd . All

this was told me by Her Majesty, who had been informed by

Kerensky of the Government's decision .

The persons who went to Tobolsk with the Imperial Family

were Count Dolgoruky, M . Tatishchev, Dr . Botkin, Miss Schnei-

der and myself . Later we were joined by M . Derevenko, Mr .

Gibbes and Baroness Buxhoevden, who had volunteered to

stay with the Imperial Family .

The Imperial Family lived in the house of the Governor

of Tobolsk . I also lived with the Imperial Family . The other

members of the suite were quartered in a house belonging to

M Kornilov, just opposite the Governor's house . Life in

Tobolsk was very similar to what it had been in Tsarskoe-Selo,

and the same restrictions were imposed .

Our guards were composed of soldiers who were formerly

in the Tsarskoe-Selo Rifle regiments . Kobylinsky was, as

before, the commandant of the house . We were accompaniedon our journey to Tobolsk by two representatives of the

Government, Makarov and Vershinin (the latter a member

of the Duma) . The representatives spent a few days in Tobolsk

and then left . Their attitude towards the Imperial Family




was quite courteous and kindly-this was very noticeable

with Makarov, especially in his manner towards the children .

In the middle of October a person named Pankratov, a

Commissar of the Government, accompanied by his assistant,

Nikolsky, arrived at Tobolsk . They were directed to supervise

our life, and Kobylinsky was made subordinate to them . As

to the effect of the arrival of these two men upon the welfare

of the Imperial Family, I cannot say that it was productive

of harm, except that their behaviour towards the guards

unfortunately demoralized most of the soldiers .

So far as we were able to judge, the inhabitants of Tobolsk

were well disposed toward the Imperial Family . Occasionally

they sent us bon-bons, cakes and various sweets, and when

they passed the house and noticed any members of the Imperial

Family, they always bowed .

The Rifles, who composed our guard, were en masse rather

kindly men. There were naturally some good men among

the soldiers, but most of them were bad . Until the Bolshevist

Revolution, however, the latter did not openly show their

evil tendencies .

The Bolshevist Revolution brought misfortune to the Im-

perial Family and the whole of Russia. The soldiers were

the first to fall under its influence, and those who were bad

and evilly disposed now became rough and cruel in their ways .

On January 25 the soldiers turned out Pankratov and

Nikolsky and decided to ask for a Bolshevik Commissar from

Moscow . The soldiers now forbade the Baroness Buxhoevden

to live in Kornilov's house .

The worst troubles happened after the Brest-Litovsk Treaty,

when the soldiers began to behave in a disgraceful manner .

The Tsarevich noticed some inscriptions on the board of the

swing used by the Grand Duchesses, but he did not have time

to read them . However, directly the Emperor noticed them

he asked Dolgoruky to remove the board, upon which vulgar,



23 o THE LASTDAYS OF THEROMANOVSdisgraceful, and stupid words had been cut by the soldiers .

The Imperial Family were also forbidden to attend divine

service. They were only allowed to go to church on important

feast days . The soldiers insisted upon the Emperor removing

the shoulder-straps from his uniform . Twice he refused to

do this, but finally, after Kobylinsky had informed him that

his refusal might result in serious trouble for himself and his

family, the Emperor submitted to this demand .

A little hill had been made in the garden for the amusement

of the children, and from its summit the Emperor and theEmpress once watched the departure of a large number of

the soldiers (at that time many soldiers left Tobolsk on account

of the demobilization of the army), but afterwards the soldiers

who remained levelled the hill to the ground .

Things became worse and worse, especially when all sources

of revenue were confiscated from the Imperial Family . This

occurred on February 12 . That same day a telegram arrived

from Moscow. I cannot tell you who sent it . In this telegram

a new mode of life was imposed on the Imperial Family . Upto this time the Imperial Family had been maintained by the

Government Treasury . Their conditions of life were quite

appropriate and ran on the same lines as the existence led by

the former Emperor and his family at Tsarskoe-Selo .

By the order of the Bolshevist authorities lodging, heating

and lighting were to be provided for the Imperial Family,

but everything else had to be obtained at their own expense

or at the expense of those persons connected with them .

We were also forbidden to earn money . I wanted to earn

some money by giving private lessons in the town, but the

soldiers would not allow me to do so, and told me I should

have to leave the house altogether if I would not adapt myself

to the conditions they imposed .

By Bolshevist orders the Imperial Family were forbidden

to spend more than four thousand two hundred roubles per




month for themselves and their servants . This state of

affairs soon affected our daily life . Coffee, butter and cream

disappeared from the table . The scarcity of sugar was seri-

ously felt, as sugar was distributed in an allowance of half

a pound per person for each month . Dinner now consisted

of two courses, for those who had been accustomed from the

time of their birth to an entirely different life, and it was

far more difficult for them to reconcile themselves to the

situation than for those who were not used to the luxuries

which the Imperial Family had always enjoyed . The lack

of resources and the necessity for economy made it impossible

to pay the church choir for singing during the divine services

held in the house . The choristers, however, volunteered to

sing free of charge, but after that a small remuneration was

always paid them .

The number of servants was considerably reduced and ten

of the staff were discharged .

At last the attitude of the soldiers became so menacing that

Kobylinsky, after losing all hope of retaining or of regaining

control over them, told the Emperor that he wished to resign

his position . The Emperor begged him to stay, and Koby-

linsky yielded to his request .

In order to make life a little more cheerful, playlets were

staged, in which the children took part . The Emperor tried

to find forgetfulness in physical labour . He sawed wood with

Tatishchev and Dolgoruky, his daughters or myself . He also

supervised the Tsarevich's lessons and personally instructed

him in history and geography .

But all the efforts made by the Emperor to conceal his

feelings could not hide his real sufferings from any observant

person, and especially after the Brest-Litovsk Treaty a marked

change was noticed in him that indicated his condition of

mental depression . I can honestly say that His Majesty was

overwhelmed with grief at the news of this Treaty .



232 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSDuring this time the Emperor discussed politics with me

on several occasions-a thing which he had never done before .

It seemed as if his soul yearned for human companionship,

and hoped by such companionship to find relief from the

intensity of his grief . I cannot state everything that he told

me, but the gist of his words and thoughts was that up to

the moment of the Brest-Litovsk Treaty he had believed in

the future prosperity of Russia-but that after the Treaty he

had completely lost faith in everything and everybody .

The Emperor criticised Kerensky and Guchkov very sharply,

as he considered them to be the most guilty for the collapse

of the Army . The Emperor thought that by their weakness

and incapacity the Army had disintegrated, with the result

that it had opened the way for the Germans to corrupt Russia .

He regarded the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk as a disgrace and

treasonable on the part of Russia towards her Allies . Hesaid bitterly : `And those who dared accuse Her Majesty of

treason have turned out to be the redl traitors . '

The Emperor looked upon Lenin and Trotzky, the leaders

of the Bolshevist movement, as German agents who had sold

Russia for a large sum .

After the Brest-Litovsk Treaty the Emperor and Empress

disdained both the German Government and the Emperor

Wilhelm. They thought that the German Government and

the Emperor Wilhelm had disgraced themselves by entering

into negotiations with the Bolsheviks, and they condemned

the outrageous methods of warfare to which the Germans

had resorted .

Such was the tenor of our life during February and March .

On March 3o a delegate, previously sent to Moscow by the

committee of our soldiers, returned to Tobolsk . He brought

a written order to Kobylinsky which stated that our life from

this time onwards must be more rigorously supervised . Wewere all ordered to live in the Governor's house, and a new




plenipotentiary Commissar was sent to Tobolsk for the purpose

of enforcing the new restrictions . On April 9 (22) this Com-

missar arrived. His name was Yakovlev . On April 1o (23)

he came to our house for the first time and was received by

the Emperor On the same day he visited the Tsarevich,

who was ill at the time. Yakovlev came back shortly after-

wards with an assistant (whose name I do not remember)

and they both went up to see the Tsarevich . On the same

day Yakovlev was received by the Empress . Yakovlev made

quite a favourable impression on the Emperor, who told me

that he believed him to be an honest man .

The reason for Yakovlev's arrival was a mystery to us .

But the mystery was solved on April 12 (25) . On that date

Yakovlev went to the Emperor and announced that he had

orders to take him away from Tobolsk . The Emperor replied

that he would not leave Tobolsk, as he would not be separated

from his son, who was ill (the Tsarevich during this period was

suffering from the same complaint that he had in Spala in

1912, but now the fall had involved paralysis of the right

foot), and therefore he, the Emperor, did not intend to leave

his family . Yakovlev answered that he was merely fulfilling

his instructions, and if the Emperor refused to leave Tobolsk,

a choice of two evils would have to be made . If the Emperor

refused to obey orders, another less scrupulous Commissar

would be sent ; or failing this he would be obliged to use

force to impose the order . At the same time Yakovlev told

the Emperor that he might be accompanied by any persons

he liked . The only thing was to submit to Yakovlev's demands .

Everything that I have told you in connection with this I

heard direct from Her Majesty .

Nobody knew where the Emperor was to be taken . His

Majesty asked Yakovlev, but the latter answered in such a

way that did not make the destination clear Kobylinsky

told us that Yakovlev had at first informed him that the



234 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSdestination was Moscow, but said afterwards that he did

not know where the Emperor was going to be taken .

All this was intensely painful and humiliating for the Imperial

Family, and they suffered most acutely . Her Majesty was

greatly distressed by having to decide whether she would

accompany the Emperor or stay with the Tsarevich .

She made up her mind that she would go with the Emperor,

and it was decided that the Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaievna

should accompany them . The rest of the family was to stay

in Tobolsk until the Tsarevich had recovered from his illness .

Yakovlev fixed the time of departure at four o'clock in the

morning of April 13 ( 2 6 ) . The evening before, when we had

tea together, the Emperor and Empress wished us farewell

and thanked everybody for his services .

At three o'clock in the morning the carriages arrived at the

door . They were wretched-looking vehicles with no seats

and no springs, and one had to seat oneself at the bottom,

and stretch out one's feet. Only a telega (peasant cart) had

a capot (hood) . In this we decided to place Her Majesty . Asthe carriages were so uncomfortable we went to the yard

where an employe by the name of Kirpichinikov kept his pigs .

He had some straw in stock, and we used this to cover the

floor of the hooded cart, and, I think, we put some of the straw

inside the other carriages . We also put a mattress inside the

covered cart . The Emperor wished to go with Her Majesty

and Maria Nikolaievna, but Yakovlev insisted that the Emperor

should ride in the same cart as he did . They left shortly

after four o'clock in the morning of April 13 ( 2 6 ) .

At this time the following persons left Tobolsk : The Emperor

and Empress, the Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaievna, Dr .

Botkin, Dolgoruky, Chemodurov, Sednev and Demidova .

They were escorted by six riflemen and two officers-Matveiev

and Nabokov-as well as by soldiers of Yakovlev's detachment .

Shortly after the Emperor's departure one of the drivers



THE DEPOSITION OF M GILLARD 235

brought us a short note from Maria Nikolaievna . She said

that the conditions of travelling were extremely hard, that

the road was bad and that the carriage was awful !

Later Kobylinsky received a wire from Nabokov announcing

the arrival of the party at Tiumen . Greatly to the surprise

of every one Kobylinsky suddenly received a telegram from

Matveiev, stating that the Emperor and all the persons in

his party had been held up in Ekaterinburg . This was quite

unexpected, as we all thought that the Emperor had been

taken to Moscow .

On April 24 (May 7) a letter arrived from the Empress .

She said that they were lodged in two rooms of Ipatiev's house,

and that they felt very much overcrowded, and the only place

where they could walk was a small dusty garden . She also

said that all their belongings had been searched, even their

' medicines,' and in discreet language she gave us to under-

stand that it would be wise for us to remove our valuables from

Tobolsk . As previously agreed between us she used the word

` medicines' instead of `jewels.' Later Tegleva received a

letter from Demidova, written by order of Her Majesty . In

this letter, in which we were instructed how to deal with the

jewels, she used the expression ` Sednev's property . '

On April 25 the two officers and the five soldiers who had

gone to Ekaterinburg with the Emperor returned to Tobolsk

and told us the following story . Yakovlev had first taken the

Emperor to Omsk . But at a distance of one hundred versts

from Omsk he took the train and proceeded to Omsk alone .

Afterwards he returned and the party proceeded to Ekaterin-

burg . The Commissars at Ekaterinburg held up the train .

Dolgoruky was arrested and taken to prison from the station .

All the officers and men were placed under arrest, and were

kept in a cellar for two days, and only liberated on the third

day after some protest had been made . The general impression

which we gathered from their narrative was that the detention



236 THE LASTDAYS OF THEROMANOVSof the train was unexpected by Yakovlev . The officers told

us that he was hustling around all over the place, but was

unable to accomplish anything. We were also told that

Yakovlev proceeded later to Moscow and wired to Koby-

linsky and Hohriakov (the chairman of the Tobolsk Soviet)

that he had resigned his position of Commissar to the Imperial

Family .

We now commenced preparations for our own departure .

On April 25 (May 8) the chairman of the Local Soviet, Hohria-

kov, visited our house for the first time . After that he called

on us frequently, urging us to hurry our departure . I remember

that the Grand Duchesses wanted to have divine service on

May 5 ( i 8 ) , the birthday of the Emperor, but Hohriakov

forbade this, saying that no time must be wasted . On May 7,

at eleven o'clock in the morning, we went to the steamer

Russ, and about three or four o'clock we left Tobolsk . Wewere escorted by a detachment commanded by Rodionov,

which was composed chiefly of Letts . Rodionov did not

behave at all well, he locked the cabin in which were the

Tsarevich and Nagorny . All the other cabins, including those

of the Grand Duchesses, were also locked by his order .

On May 9 (22) we reached Tiumen, and the same day we

entrained, and arrived at Ekaterinburg on May io (23) at

2 a.m . During the night we were going backwards and

forwards from one station to another, and we were transferred

from one track to another. About nine o'clock the train

stopped between two stations . The weather was very unplea-

sant and there was a continuous drizzling rain . Five isvosh-

chiks (cabs) were awaiting us . Rodionov and some Commissars

approached the car in which the children were seated . The

Grand Duchesses then came out of the car . Tatiana Niko-

laievna carried her pet dog under one arm, and she also carried

a bag, the latter with apparent difficulty, as she dragged it

along the pavement . Nagorny wanted to help her, but he



THEDEPOSITION OFM GILLARD 237

was roughly pushed aside . I noticed that Nagorny went

in the same cab as the Tsarevich . I remember that there

was a Commissar or some other Bolshevik agent in every cab .

I wanted to leave the train and wish them good-bye, but I

was held up by a sentry . I never thought that I was then

seeing them for the last time ; and I did not even know that

I was already discharged from the service of the Imperial

Family .

At last our train came into the station . About three hours

later I saw Tatishchev, Hendrykova and Schneider taken out

of the train escorted by soldiers . A little later Haritonov,

little Sednev, Volkov and Trupp were also taken away . I

had almost forgotten to say that the children were accompanied

by Dr. Derevenko. In a little while Rodionov arrived and

told us that we `were not wanted,' and that we were `free . '

The Baroness Buxhoevden was then transferred to our car .

In about three days we received an order from the Soviet

to leave the Perm district and to return to Tobolsk . Wecould not fulfil this order as the way was then cut off by the

advancing Czechs, so we stayed in Ekaterinburg . During

this time I visited the town and had a look at Ipatiev's house .

On May 14 or 15 (28) I witnessed the following sight

I was walking in the streets of Ekaterinburg with Dere-

venko and Mr. Gibbes. When we were passing Ipatiev's house

we noticed Sednev, who was sitting in a cab surrounded by

soldiers with fixed bayonets . Nagorny was seated in another

cab . The latter looked up when he saw us and gazed at us

for quite a long time, but he did not make a single sign of

recognition .

The cabs, surrounded by cavalry, drove away towards the

centre of the town . We followed them as fast as we could

and finally saw them disappear in the direction of the prison .

Our party, consisting of eighteen persons, at last proceeded

to Tiumen . At Kamyshlov the Soviet did not allow us to



238 THE LASTDAYS OF THE ROMANOVSgo any further . We stayed at Kamyshlov for ten days . The

town was dirty, and the whole place was full of disease. Finally

we were allowed to board a train containing a number of Serbs,

and we arrived at Tiumen .

We suffered very severely, but I do not wish to mention

my personal sufferings .

In the latter part of August I was visited by Chemodurov .

His first words were : `Thank God, the Emperor, Her Majesty

and the children are alive-but all the others are killed . '

He told me that he was in Ipatiev's house when ` Botkin

and the others ' were shot . He said that he had seen the

bodies of Sednev and Nagorny, whom he recognized by their

clothes, and he declared that their bodies had been put in

coffins and buried . He told me that all the others had been

obliged to put on soldiers' uniforms and had been taken away .

It was difficult to understand Chemodurov, as he talked very

irrationally .

Chemodurov also said that the life of the Imperial Family

in Ekaterinburg was terrible, that they were very badly

oppressed, and that they were obliged to have their meals

with the servants . The Commandant, Avdeiev, who also

had his meals with the Imperial Family, was often drunk, and

sometimes came into the room where the Imperial Family

was seated, without his tunic .

Chemodurov declared that Avdeiev often behaved in an

indecent and insulting manner . For example, during meals,

if he wanted to help himself from the dish he would reach in

front of the Emperor and Her Majesty, and in so doing would

brush the Emperor's face with his elbow .

The Grand Duchesses slept on the floor after their arrival

at Ekaterinburg . The Bolsheviks took away a little bag

which Her Majesty always used to carry in her hand, and they

also took away a gold chain by which the Holy Images were

attached to the Tsarevich's bed .



THE DEPOSITIONOF M GILLARD 239

After Chemodurov's arrival Mr. Gibbes and myself went

to Ekaterinburg for the purpose of giving assistance to Ser-

geiev, who was a member of the Court, as Chemodurov had

told us that Sergeiev was in charge of the investigation of the

fate of the Imperial Family . Together with Sergeiev we

visited Ipatiev's house and inspected the room that had

bullet holes on the wall and on the floor . In this house I

found two `Egyptian signs' which the Empress was in the

habit of drawing on various things for Good Luck . One of

those signs I noticed was drawn on the wallpaper of Her

Majesty's room, the other was drawn on the side of the win-

dow in another room, and under the Egyptian signs (the swas-

tika) a date was written in pencil : 17/30 April-the date of

Her Majesty's arrival in Ekaterinburg . My attention was

also attracted to the stoves, which were full of half-burned

articles . I recognized a considerable number of these, such as

tooth and hair brushes, pins and a number of various things

bearing the initials ` A. F .' (Alexandra Feodorovna) .

I received the impression that if the Imperial Family had

been really removed from Ekaterinburg, they must have been

taken away without any of their personal belongings . All

the things which they would have required had been burned .

Nevertheless, at the time I left the house I could not believe

that the Imperial Family had really perished . There was such

a small number of bullet holes in the room which I had inspected,

that I thought it impossible for everybody to have been

executed . After I returned from Ekaterinburg to Tiumen,

Volkov called on me, but I did not recognize him, as I had read

in the newspapers that after the attempt on the life of Lenin,

Hendrykova, Schneider and Volkov had been shot .

Volkov told me that he had been taken direct from the train

and put in the Ekaterinburg prison . From this prison he,

Hendrykova and Schneider had been transferred to another

prison at Perm . Tatishchev was also in prison in Ekaterin-



240 THELASTDAYS OF THE ROMANOVSburg . He was once taken out of prison and was never put

back. I could hardly understand from Volkov what had

actually happened to Tatishchev . Volkov said that he had

seen a Bolshevik order commanding Tatishchev to leave the

Perm district . Volkov was put in a cell with the valet of the

Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich, and the valet told him

that when the Grand Duke lived in Perm he was visited one

night by four armed men, one of whom aimed his pistol at the

valet and ordered him to stand still . The others told the

Grand Duke to follow them . The Grand Duke refused to

obey and said that he would only obey the orders of a member

of the Soviet . In reply to this, one of the armed men went

up to the Grand Duke, and took him by the collar, saying

`Here is another of the damned Romanovs . '

Volkov, Hendrykova, Schneider, and some other people

were taken out of prison into the woods . Volkov understood

that they were all going to be shot, so he tried to escape .

When he was out of danger of pursuit, he stopped and heard

the sound of volleys coming from the place where the others

had been taken . He believed that Hendrykova and the rest

were murdered . He thought that the Bolsheviks must have

considered him dead, because when they fired at him as he

was running away, he tripped and fell . He then heard a voice

say : ' He's done for . '

Volkov also related the following incident concerning the

fate of the Grand Duke Michael : The Grand Duke had to

submit to force and accompany his captors . One of the men

remained with the valet to prevent him from notifying any-

body . But the valet escaped and told the Soviet everything

that had happened . A tumult occurred in the Soviet, but

nevertheless the members were in no hurry to start in pursuit

of the men . About an hour later they instituted a search

for the Grand Duke . It was very difficult to obtain any

definite information from Volkov as to the ultimate fate of



THEDEPOSITIONOF M. GILLARD 241

the Grand Duke Michael, but it appeared that when the Grand

Duke followed the strangers, the valet said to him : ̀ Your

Highness, don't forget to take your medicine with you . It is

on the shelf above the stove . '

I have nothing more to declare . My statement has been

read to me and it is correct .

(Signed) GILLARD(Signed) N SOKOLOV

9



THEDEPOSITION OF MR GIBBES

THE deposition of Mr . Gibbes should prove interesting to

the public as being that of an Englishman who was

wholly and unselfishly devoted to the Imperial Family . Sidney

Gibbes acted as tutor to the Tsarevich, and after the arrest

of the Emperor and his Family, he followed them to Tobolsk

without a thought for his own safety .

Mr. Gibbes knew the Emperor and the Empress intimately

during these days of sorrow, and his deposition shows that the

Tsar was genuinely affected by the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

and the subsequent Red Ruin of Russia . These recollections

are absolutely unbiased, and there is no reason to doubt their

accuracy .

On July z, i9i9, the Investigating Magistrate for Cases of

Special Importance of the Omsk Tribunal, N. A. Sokolov,

questioned the undermentioned in Ekaterinburg in conformity

with Paragraph 443 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, in the

capacity of a witness, and the witness stated

My name is

SIDNEY IVANOVICH GIBBES .

Up to the year 1916 I was a visiting teacher of the English

language to the Grand Duchesses and the Tsarevich . I began

my lessons with the Grand Duchesses Olga Nikolaievna,

Tatiana Nikolaievna and Maria Nikolaievna in 19o8 . WhenAnastasia grew up I gave her lessons also . I began the in-

struction of the Tsarevich in 1914, and in 1916 I was appointed

tutor to the Tsarevich . The same year I took up my resi-242



THEDEPOSITION OFMR GIBBES 243

dence in the Palace . In 1917 the duties of tutor to the Tsare-

vich were performed partly by myself and partly by M . Gillard .

During the early part of the Revolution the Imperial Family

resided in Tsarskoe-Selo . The Empress and all the children

were there . The Emperor was at the Stavka . At the begin-

ning of the Revolution the children were taken ill with the

measles . The first to be attacked by the disease was the

Tsarevich, and after him all the daughters had it in succession .

I do not know how the Empress received the news of the

Revolution ; I was told by some one who was with her at the

time that she wept . From what I personally know of the

Empress, my conviction is that she did not expect the Revolu-

tion . It seems to me that the Empress thought that only a

few concessions ought to have been made . The Revolution

was a great blow to her and she suffered, but owing to her self-

control she did not display much outward emotion .

The Empress and the Imperial Family were arrested by

General Kornilov . I was not present at the time of the arrest,

so I cannot tell you what took place . I know that Kornilov

was received by Her Majesty and told her that she must con-

sider herself under arrest . The Empress herself told me,

but she did not go into many details ; she simply related all

that had occurred in a general way, but she added that she

received Kornilov coldly,' and did not give him her hand to kiss .

After Kornilov's announcement of the arrest I was not allowed

to go into the Palace, and my requests for admittance always

met with a refusal . The Provisional Government would not

allow me to stay with the Imperial Family . I remember this

distinctly as I saw the letter which stated this, and it bore the

signature of five ministers . I do not remember their names,

but I know that I saw the signatures of five ministers . I can-

not tell you whether the answer bore the signature of the

Minister of Public Education . Being an Englishman, I con-

sidered all these formalities extremely strange .



244 THELAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSThis is the reason why I was not permitted to be with the

Imperial Family during their stay in Tsarskoe-Selo, and in

consequence I did not see anything of their life during that

period .

I heard later in Tobolsk, that some of the soldiers and officers

in Tsarskoe-Selo behaved roughly to the Imperial Family .

The Emperor himself told me that on one occasion an officer

refused to shake hands with him, saying that he was on duty,

and therefore he was not allowed to shake hands . The

Emperor also mentioned Kerensky . He said that Kerensky

was very nervous when he spoke to him . In fact, he was once

so nervous that he took up an ivory paper-knife and began

bending it about so much, that the Emperor was afraid he

would break the knife, and took it away from him . The

Emperor also told me that Kerensky believed that he (the

Emperor) wanted to make a separate peace with Germany .

The Emperor denied that this was so, but Kerensky insisted

upon believing the contrary . I cannot say whether the private

papers of the Emperor were searched by Kerensky or not,

but the Emperor said that Kerensky believed he had certain

papers which indicated his desire to make peace with Ger-

many . I knew the Emperor well, and I quite understand the

feelings of disdain which he must have had for Kerensky .

Kerensky was very nervous on the day of departure of the

Imperial Family from Tsarskoe-Selo . During the night he

telephoned to the Minister of Communication, and told him to

come to Tsarskoe-Selo at once . The Minister of Communica-

tion was in bed at the time, but this did not weigh with Keren-

sky in the least .

I cannot tell you anything else about the life of the Imperial

Family at Tsarskoe-Selo . As I was devoted to the Family

and wanted to be near them, I went to Tobolsk of my own free

will, and I arrived there in the beginning of October . From

Tiumen I travelled with Klavdia Mikbailovna I3itner .



THE DEPOSITION OF MR GIBBES 245

For two days I lived in Kornilov's house . On the third

day I was sent for by the Emperor . He received me in his

working room . The Empress and the Tsarevich were alsopresent. I was very glad to see them, and they were very

glad to see me . At this time the Empress had begun to

realize that some of the people who were supposed to be

devoted to her were not so any longer

Our stay in Tobolsk was, on the whole, very agreeable . I

did not see anything objectionable in the conditions of our life .

Certainly there were some disadvantages compared with what

it had been ; and there were many trifles which created friction,

but one soon became used to them .

We all worked very hard . The Empress taught theology

to the children (all the children took lessons except Olga

Nikolaievna, who had completed her studies in 1924) . She

also taught Tatiana Nikolaievna a little German . The Em-

peror gave history lessons to the Tsarevich . Klavdia Mikhai-

lovna Bitner gave instruction in mathematics and the Russian

language to the Grand Duchesses Maria and Anastasia, and

also to the Tsarevich . Hendrykova gave history lessons to

Tatiana Nikolaievna . I taught them English .

Lessons were given from 9 a .m. to eleven o'clock . From

eleven to twelve o'clock the children were allowed to take a

walk. Studies were resumed at twelve and continued for an

hour At r p .m . lunch was served, and after that, coffee was

served . According to the doctor's orders the Tsarevich had

to rest on the sofa after lunch . Whilst he was lying down

Gillard and I used to read aloud to him. After this Nagorny

dressed the Tsarevich, and we went for a walk until four or five

o'clock . After we returned the Emperor gave the Tsarevich

his history lesson, and then the Tsarevich usually liked to play

one particular game called ` The slower you ride the further

you go . ' We divided into two sides to play this game . The

Tsarevich, Gillard or myself were on one side, Dolgoruky



246 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSand Schneider on the other . The Tsarevich was extremely

fond of the game, and Schneider used to put all her heart into

it, but she occasionally quarrelled with Dolgoruky . This was

really funny . We played the game nearly every day, and

Schneider always used to say that she would never play

again .

From 6 to 7 p .m. the Tsarevich took lessons with me or with

Gillard . From 7 to 8 p .m. he prepared his lessons for the next

day . Dinner was served at 8 p .m . After dinner the Family

assembled upstairs . Sometimes we played cards, and I often

played double patience with Schneider. Tatishchev, Olga

Nikolaievna, Dr . Botkin, Schneider, Gillard, and Dolgoruky

played bridge . The children and the Emperor occasionally

played bezique . The Emperor often read aloud .

Sometimes the Grand Duchesses Olga, Maria and Anastasia

would go up to Demidova's room, where Toutelberg, Ergberg

and Tegleva had their meals. Occasionally Gillard, Dol-

goruky, the Tsarevich or myself accompanied them . Wealways stayed some considerable time in this room, where we

indulged in plenty of fun and laughter,_ and thoroughly enjoyed

ourselves .

The Emperor rose early . At 9 a .m. he had tea in his work-

ing room, and then he read until ii a .m . He then took a walk

in the garden, and during the walk he always went in for some

kind of physical exercise . In Tobolsk he frequently used to

saw logs . With some outside assistance, the Emperor built

a platform on the roof of the orangery, and a staircase, con-

structed by our united efforts, led up to the platform . The

Emperor liked to sit on this platform when the weather was

stormy . The Emperor usually stopped out of doors untilnoon, when he came in and went to his daughter's room, where

sandwiches were served . Later he retired to his own quarters,

and worked until it was time for lunch . After lunch the

Emperor walked or worked in the garden till dusk . At




5 p.m. the Family had tea, after which the Emperor used to

read until supper time .

The Empress got up at different times, sometimes much

later than others, but she was often ready at the same time as

everybody else . She was never seen by strangers in the

morning . There were times when the Empress only appeared

at lunch . In the morning she worked or occupied herself

with her children . She liked fancy work : embroidery or

painting, and when there was nobody in the house, and she

was left alone, she liked to play the piano .

Lunch and dinner were good . For lunch we used to have

soup, fish, meat and dessert . Coffee was served upstairs .

The dinner was similar to the lunch, with the difference that

more fruit was served with it .

If the Emperor was present at dinner we used to sit in the

following order : The Emperor sat in the middle of the table,

the Empress opposite him, Hendrykova sat at the Emperor's

right, and next to her sat the Grand Duchess Maria . At the

Emperor's left sat Schneider and Dolgoruky . The Tsarevich

sat at the Empress's right, at her left were Tatishchev and the

Grand Duchess Tatiana . Gillard was seated at the end oz the

table, and opposite him were the Grand Duchess Anastasia

and myself . If the Empress dined upstairs her place wastaken by the Grand Duchess Olga .

Botkin always dined with the Imperial Family, but he

lunched with his own family . He usually sat between the

Grand Duchess Olga and the Tsarevich . On Holy Days, Dr .

Derevenko and his own son, Kolia, were invited to dinner .

Dinner was cooked by Haritonov . The food was good, and

there was plenty of everything .

Besides dinner and lunch, tea was served twice

daily .

In the morning the Emperor took tea with the Grand Duchess

Olga in his working room . Tea was always served in the



248 THELASTDAYS OF THE ROMANOVSEmperor's working room in the evening, when only the Family

were present .

At the time of my arrival in Tobolsk, there were two Com-

missars, Pankratov and Nikolsky Pankratov was not a bad

sort of fellow, but he was weak, and did not cause us any un-

easiness . The Emperor used to talk to him, and Pankratov

told him many interesting things about Siberia, where he had

lived in exile, but the Emperor referred to Pankratov in rather

a sarcastic manner, and always called him `The little man'

(he was rather small in stature) . Nikolsky was uncouth, and

the Family did not like him . I do not remember if Nikolsky

was ever discourteous, or if the Tsarevich was known to have

cried on account of his rudeness . During the Bolshevik period

no Commissars were allowed to our house . I believe that some

Commissars arrived in Tobolsk, but they were not recognized

by the soldiers . Yakovlev was the first Commissar to enter

the house .

The Bolshevist Revolution at first passed unnoticed, and it

looked as if we were completely forgotten . However, the

Bolsheviks suddenly remembered us, and our allowance was

stopped . We were given a soldier's ration and ordered to

limit our necessities to z5o roubles per week . Several servants

were discharged, and we began to get inferior food . Only

two courses of soup and meat were now served .

I did not speak to the Emperor about the Brest-Litovsk

Treaty, but I noticed that he appeared to suffer greatly after

the Bolshevist Revolution . The Emperor abdicated because

he thought it would be better for Russia . It turned out to be

worse . He did not expect this, and he suffered dreadful

remorse on account of his action . After we received the news

that the state of affairs in Russia was so bad, I saw the Em-

peror looked very much upset, and he was silent for a long

time . His own situation did not appear to disturb him, and

he endured it without repining .



THE DEPOSITION OFMR GIBBES 249

Yakovlev arrived in Tobolsk in the beginning of April,

at the time of the Tsarevich's illness . I was sitting by the

Tsarevich's bed, when the Emperor, accompanied by Yakov-

lev and another man, entered the room . Yakovlev looked at

the Tsarevich. The Emperor said : ` This is my son, and this

gentleman is his tutor . '

Yakovlev did not appear to be a man of culture . He

looked more like a sailor . I do not remember what the

other man was like . Yakovlev gazed attentively at the

Tsarevich, and afterwards left the house . The Emperorand Yakovlev then returned without the third man . They

looked at the Tsarevich, but said nothing . A few days later

I was again in the Tsarevich's bedroom : he was very ill and

suffered a great deal . The Empress had promised to come

and see him after lunch, and he waited and waited, but no

one came . As he kept calling, `Mamma, Mamma,' I went

out of the room hoping to see the Empress, and I noticed the

Emperor, the Empress and Yakovlev, who were standing in

the middle of the hall, but I did not hear what they were

talking about . I returned to the Tsarevich's room . He began

to cry and asked, ` Where is Mamma ? ' So I left the room

once more . I was told that the Empress was very anxious

about something, and this was the reason why she had not

been to see the Tsarevich . I was also told that she was greatly

alarmed because the Emperor was to be taken away from

Tobolsk I then returned to the bedroom. Between four

and five o'clock the Empress came in . She was quite calm,

but her face showed traces of tears . As she was afraid of dis-

turbing the Tsarevich, she began to tell me in an undertone

that the Emperor had been ordered to leave Tobolsk, and that

she and the Grand Duchess Maria were to go with him, and

that as soon as the Tsarevich was better he and the rest would

follow them . The Tsarevich heard what she said, but he did

not ask her where we were going, and wishing to avoid any



250 THELASTDAYS OF THE ROMANOVSfurther embarrassment I did not ask her either . Soon after-

wards I left the room, as I thought that during the time they

were preparing for the journey, they most probably would not

care for the presence of strangers . That night they dined

upstairs alone .

In the evening we were all invited to the Empress's boudoir

(the green room), where tea was served . The conversation

turned mostly on travelling, and at two o'clock the carriages

arrived ; only one of them had a hood . I wished the Family

good-bye in the hall . The Emperor seated himself beside

Yakovlev ; the Empress and the Grand Duchess Maria were

together . They were accompanied by Dr. Botkin, Chemod-

urov, Dolgoruky, Demidova and Sednev . We did not know

the place of their destination . None of us had any idea that

they were to be taken to Ekaterinburg . We all thought they

were going to Moscow or to the East . The children shared the

same opinion . We were all very anxious . We did not know

what was going to happen to them . Tatishchev was now the

senior member of our party, and Tatiana was now looked

upon as the head of the Family in the place of the Grand

Duchess Olga .

The Tsarevich was gradually recovering, although very

slowly . The first news of the travellers was brought us by the

isvoshchik, who drove one of the carriages .

He told us that the Family had reached Tiumen safely .

Later, somebody sent a wire to say that they were `Held up'

at Ekaterinburg . We were all stricken by this news .

Yakovlev had told us nothing about Ekaterinburg, and I

heard some one say that Yakovlev himself had been sent from

Moscow, and not from Ekaterinburg, and I don't think there

is any doubt whatever about this .

After this Hohriakov came to the house . It appeared

that this man had spent some considerable time in Tobolsk,

but we had never seen him in the house before . We thought



THEDEPOSITION OFMR GIBBES 251

he had been sent by Yakovlev. When he arrived he asked

to see the Tsarevich, as possibly he did not believe in his

i l l n e s s . After he had left him he came back again, probably

expecting that the Tsarevich would get up after his first

visit. About three days before we left Tobolsk our guards

were replaced by a detachment of Reds . The detachment

was under the command of a certain Rodionov, who did not

impress me unfavourably . We were all very much interested

in him, as Tatishchev had met him before, but could not re-

member who Rodionov was, or where he had seen him. Hen-

drykova also knew him . Tatishchev thought that he had

seen Rodionov in Berlin, and Hendrykova believed that she

had seen him in Vershbolovo . Tatishchev had formerly

been attached to the Emperor Wilhelm's entourage and he

thought that he had seen Rodonov in the Russian Embassy

in Berlin . Tatishchev once asked him what had been his

profession and Rodionov, not wishing to give a definite reply,

answered : ` I have forgotten . ' When speaking of Rodionov,

Tatishchev used to describe him as ` My acquaintance . '

I remember that in 1916, when I was in Petrograd, I happened

to visit an acquaintance of mine by the name of Ditveiler who

was, I believe, a Jew and a Russian subject . He used to work

in a rope factory . During one of our conversations I asked

him what he had been doing lately, and he told me that he

had spent most of his time with certain people . I then

questioned Ditveiler about the identity of one man, and Dit-

veiler answered : `Probably he is a German spy,' and he

added that an officer by the name of Rodionov was present

at one of their meetings . So his name was also familiar to me .

Rodionov did not allow us to lock the doors of our bedrooms

at night .

We left for Tiumen by steamer. A few days before our

departure Hohriakov told us that he did not know whether we

should be allowed to stay in the house in Ekaterinburg which



252 THELAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSwas occupied by the Emperor, the Empress and the Grand

Duchess Maria. Rodionov informed us that from now things

were going to be much worse for us than they had been . From

Tiumen the children, Hendrykova, Schneider, Tatishchev,

Buxhoevden, Nagorny and Volkov travelled in a passenger

compartment, but the rest of us were obliged to sit in a goods

van (teploushka) . We arrived at Ekaterinburg during the

night of May 9 (22) . It was very cold . The whole night we

were moving about on different sidings . At 7 a .m. our com-

partments were taken out of the town . Some isvoshchiks

were waiting, and although I watched the departure of the

children, I was not allowed to wish them good-bye . At ten

o'clock we were moved up alongside a platform and Tatishchev

and Schneider were removed from the train . I cannot say

what became of Hendrykova . After this Rodionov announced

that little Sednev and Trupp must proceed to the house .

Nagorny came later and took away some of the luggage and the

children's beds . These beds, which were all alike, were made

of iron, similar to the bed used by the Emperor Alexander II

during the Turkish war The beds were comfortable and

light. After Nagorny's departure, Rodionov said to us

You are free and you can go wherever you like . '

I stayed in Ekaterinburg . Two or three days later I was

walking with Derevenko and Gillard on the Vosnesensky

Prospekt when we suddenly noticed that Nagorny and Sed-

nev, surrounded by soldiers, were leaving Ipatiev's house,

on two isvoshchiks . We followed them and saw that they

were taken to prison .

Some considerable time elapsed before the former Prime

Minister, Prince George Evgenievich Lvov (who was in prison

in Ekaterinburg with Nagorny), told me that Nagorny often

had disputes with the Bolsheviks on account of their bad

treatment of the Tsarevich . The Bolsheviks only allowed the

Tsarevich to keep one pair of boots . Nagorny insisted upon



THEDEPOSITIONOFMR GIBBES 253

two pairs of shoes being left, and told the Bolsheviks that the

boy was delicate and, if he were to get his feet wet, he would

badly need another pair of shoes . Some time later the Bol-

sheviks took away a long gold chain by which the Holy Images

hung from the Tsarevich's bedside . Nagorny had several

arguments with the Bosheviks : 'So I quite understand why

he was shot,' added Prince Lvov .

After the Bolsheviks left Ekaterinburg, Chemodurov came

to see me . His first words were : ` Thank God, the children

are safe. ' I did not understand him . But afterwards in the

course of conversation he suddenly asked me : ` Do you think

they are saved ? ' About ten days before his death he sent me

a letter asking if there were any hopes of them being alive .

Chemodurov said that the conditions of life in Ekaterinburg

were very bad . It seems that when the Family had special

Easter cake, the Commissar cut himself big lumps without

asking permission, and Chemodurov also mentioned rough

treatment ; but it was very difficult for me to understand him,

as he wandered a little in his mind, but he distinctly told me

that the Grand Duchesses had no beds .

I have visited Ipatiev's house, but I found nothing out of

the ordinary . The house was very much battered . The

stoves were full of charred objects, such as portrait frames,

all kinds of brushes, and a little basket in which the Tsarevich

used to keep his hairbrushes . A few things were scattered

about, but I did not see many personal belongings .

The Emperor used to wear khaki trousers, a soldier's shirt

and high boots, which had been often patched . The Tsarevich

also wore khaki trousers, a soldier's shirt and high boots .

With regard to the rubies which you have shown me, I know

that the Imperial Family had quite a number of rubies in their

various articles of jewellery . The Grand Duchess Olga had

a ruby brooch which had been given her by the late Queen

Victoria,



254 THE LAST DAYSOF THE ROMANOVSThe sapphires look very much like fragments of the large

stone which the Emperor wore in a ring . It was shaped in

much the same way as these pieces, and I think there is a

complete resemblance between them and the large stone .

The Emperor wore this ring on his wedding finger, and he

told me that he could not take it off .

My personal recollections of the Imperial Family are as

follows :-

The Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaievna was about twenty-

three years of age ; she was fair and had the lightest hair of

the Family . After her illness she got much thinner . She had

beautiful blue eyes, and her soul could be seen in her eyes .

She was innocent, honest, simple, sincere and kind, but she

was easily irritated and her manners were a little brusque .

She was a good musician, and she had a real talent for music .

The Grand Duchess Olga was very modest . She liked sim-

plicity, and did not pay much attention to dress ; her moral

outlook reminded me of that of her father . She was very

religious, and I think she loved her father better than anyone

else .

The Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaievna was very thin .

You could hardly meet anybody as thin as she was . She was

twenty-one years of age, tall,'elegant, and of darker complexion

than the rest of the Family . Her eyes were dark grey in

colour, and her expression was different from that of her sisters,

who showed their candid souls in their eyes . Tatiana did not ;

she was reserved, haughty, and not open-hearted, but she had

the most decided opinions of the Family . She, too, was re-

ligious, but the motive of her religion was duty ; Olga Niko-

laievna had the love of religion in her heart . Tatiana was

always preoccupied and pensive, and it was impossible to

guess her thoughts . She played the piano better than anyone

of the Family, as she had a better technique, but she did not

show any feeling when she played. She also painted and



THE DEPOSITION OF MR GIBBES2 55

embroidered well . She was her mother's favourite, and the one

in whom the Empress reposed most confidence ; I think the

Empress preferred Tatiana to her other daughters . If any

favours were required they could only be obtained through

Tatiana Nikolaievna. The Grand Duchess Maria Niko-

laievna was a broadly-built girl ; she was very strong,

and could easily lift me up from the ground. Her hair

was lighter than Tatiana's, but darker than Olga's (Olga

Nikolaievna had golden-brown hair, and Maria Nikolaievna

had light-brown hair) . She had nice, light-grey eyes, and she

was very good-looking, but she became very thin after her

i l l n e s s . She had a great talent for painting, and she was very

fond of drawing . She played the piano fairly well, but she

was not such a good musician as Olga or Tatiana . She was

modest and simple, and probably would have made an excellent

wife and mother . She was fond of children, but she was a

little inclined to be lazy . She liked Tobolsk and told me that

she could make herself quite happy there . It is difficult for

me to tell you whom she most loved-her father or her mother .

The Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaievna was sixteen or

seventeen years old ; she was short and stout, and in my

opinion, she was the only ungraceful member of the Family .

Her hair was of a lighter shade than that of Maria Nikolaievna,

but it was not soft, and lay flat on her forehead . Her eyes

were grey and beautiful, and her nose was straight . If she

had been taller and slimmer she would have been the prettiest

of the Family . She was refined and very witty . She had all

the talents of a comedian, and she made everybody laugh,

but she never laughed herself. It seemed as if her mental

development had been suddenly arrested, and although she

played the piano and painted, she was only in the first stage

of both accomplishments .

The Tsarevich, Alexis Nikolaievich, was not a healthy boy .

He was tall. for his age and very thin . He had suffered



256 THELASTDAYS OF THE ROMANOVSgreatly in his childhood, from a disease inherited from his

mother's family . He became worse in Tobolsk, as it was

difficult to obtain the proper means to effect a cure . The

Tsarevich had a kind heart and was very fond of animals,

but he could be only influenced through his emotions, and he

rarely did as he was told. He only obeyed the Emperor . He

was a clever boy but he was not fond of books . His mother

loved him passionately . She tried to be strict, but she could

not be firm with him, and most of his wishes were obtained

through his mother. He bore unpleasant things silently,

without grumbling . He was very kind-hearted, and during

the last days at Tobolsk he was the only one of the Family

who made any presents . In Tobolsk, he had some odd fancies

-for instance, he used to collect old nails, saying : ' They

may be useful . '

The Grand Duchesses spoke English and French well, but

German badly Alexis Nikolaievich did not speak German at

all-he never had any German lessons . His father spoke

Russian to him, his mother English or French .

The Empress used to be very good-looking and graceful,

but her feet were large . I was quite surprised when I saw her

again in Tobolsk, as she looked much older and had many

grey hairs . She had wonderful soft grey eyes . She was clever,

but she always seemed most clever to those who knew her least .

She was not haughty in the ordinary sense of the word, but

she never for a moment forgot her position . She looked

queenly, but I was always at ease in her presence, and I liked

to be with her . She was kind-hearted and used to perform

many kind actions . She was extremely fond of homely secrets,

and she liked to prepare a surprise for somebody and then

keep it a secret until it was ready . She had many German

characteristics, and she was more economical than an English

woman . She loved Russia and considered herself a Russian .

The thing which she most dreaded was losing Russia . Al-




though the Empress had often visited Germany during the

Emperor's reign, I never heard her say a single word about the

Emperor Wilhelm . She was genuinely religious in the Or-

thodox way, and she was a true believer in God. She was

most devoted to her Family, but religion was uppermost to

her heart .

Her religious feelings were quite normal, and not the product

of hysteria . She had a stronger and more aggressive character

than the Emperor, but she had such a deep love for him that

she always shared his opinions and never opposed his views .

I never witnessed a single quarrel between them . It was

obvious that she was much opposed to his abdication, but she

never reproached him . And it was impossible to think of her

as being unfaithful to the Emperor . They were an ideal

couple and they were rarely separated . The Emperor often

took Alexis Nikolaievich with him on his trips . I suppose the

Tsarevich in a way served as a substitute for the rest of his

Family .

The Emperor was very well educated . He spoke (and wrote)

English and French to perfection . I cannot speak as to his

knowledge of German . He was very methodical in his habits,

and he could not bear anybody to touch his things . He had an

exceptionally good memory, but he did not care much for

light reading ; he read many works dealing with social questions

and he was a keen student of history . He gave me the im-

pression of being an extremely honest man . The Emperor

was very kind, and he had a compassionate heart . He was

slightly reserved, and disliked any kind of familiarity . His

disposition was cheerful, and he was fond of games . He was

also fond of conversation and sometimes chatted with the

soldiers . He loved his country devotedly, and he suffered

greatly during the Revolution . After the Bolshevik Revo-

lution, we all felt that his sufferings were not due to his own

dangerous situation, but that he suffered with and for Russia .

R



258 THELAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSThe Emperor was a fine sportsman, and he was fond of the

chase .

The aides-de-camp who were most closely attached to the

Family were Dmitri Pavlovich (the Grand Duke Dmitri),

Mordvinov and Sablin . The Empress was very fond of Anna

Alexandrovna Vyrubova and Julia Dehn .

With regard to Rasputin, the Empress believed in his

holiness and his power of healing, and she also believed in the

efficacy of his prayers . Rasputin did not visit the Palace

as frequently as has been reported, and his visits were prin-

cipally due to the illness of the Tsarevich . I looked upon

Rasputin merely as a clever, cunning, and good-natured

muzhik (peasant) .

I have nothing to add to the above statement . My state-

ment has been read to me, and it is correct .

(Signed) S . I . GIBBES(Signed) N . SOKOLOV



Part II

(B.)-EKATERINBURGAPRIL 17 (30) TOJULY 4 ( I 7 ) , 1918

THE EXAMINATION OF ANATOLY YAKIMOV

AAATOLY YAKIMOV, whose deposition is now given, wasa workman, who became one of the Senior Guards of the

Imperial Family during their last days in Ekaterinburg . His

statement bears the impress of truth, and one gathers from it

that he possessed some education, and was more enlightened

and tolerant in his views than were his fellows . Although

Yakimov never spoke to any of the members of the Imperial

Family, we are able to see them vividly by his crude descrip-

tions of their daily life . This workman-guard denies that he

was present at the actual execution, but he insists that he and

the others to whom it was related were convinced that the

Tsar and his family met their deaths in the manner described

by Medvedev .

It is curious to notice the respect with which this peasant-

workman always mentioned the Imperial Family . Avdeiev,

so he says, referred to the Imperial Family as `They,' and

Yakimov follows his example, but it is apparent that this

implies no disrespect on his part .

In rgig, from May 7 to ii, the Investigating Magistrate for

Important Cases of the Omsk Tribunal sitting in the town of

Ekaternburg, examined (with the application of articles 403-

409 of the Code of Criminal Procedure) Anatoly Alexandrovich

259



26o THE LASTDAYSOF THEROMANOVSYakimov, a peasant, aged 31 years, married, and a member of

the Orthodox Church .

The accused deposed as follows

I am a workman, and my speciality is work on milling

machines ; my father was also a workman . He was born in

the Ugovsk Factory of the Perm District . My mother's name

was Maria Nikolaievna . I am her eldest son .

At the time of my birth my father worked at the Motoviliha

Works . At the age of eight, I began my studies in a school

attached to the ecclesiastical seminary . I went to school for

three years . I was twelve years old when my father died . Mymother then sent me to the public school, but having passed

the third grade, I left school, as we had no money to live on

and at the same time I was not ambitious enough to study .

As I wanted to get some occupation my mother sent me to the

Motoviliha Works, where I was accepted as a bell boy in the

drafting room . When I was sixteen I was transferred to the

machine shop and began to learn to work the milling machines .

In 19o6 I married the daughter of a workman of the Motoviliha

Factory . In 1916 I volunteered in the army and enlisted in

the 494th Vereisky Regiment of the 124th Division. Ourregiment was engaged on the Roumanian Front . I took part in

several battles, but I was never wounded . In July, 1917,

after the Revolution, I was elected on the committee of the

regiment . You ask me the reason why I was chosen ? Ibelieve I was chosen to be a member of the regiment's committee

because I was better educated than the rest of the soldiers . I

never joined any of the political parties, but my sympathies

were with the Social Democrats .

At the beginning of November, 1917, I obtained a position in

Zlokazov's Factory in Ekaterinburg . The factory was still

in the hands of its owners, the Zlokazovs, but a committee of

workmen existed and there was also a Commissar of the factory .

The position of Commissar was taken by Alexander Dmitriev



THEEXAMINATIONOF ANATOLY YAKIMOV 261

Avdeiev, a locksmith by trade . Avdeiev was aged about

thirty-four or thirty-five, he was taller than the average, and

his face was thin and pale .

In December Avdeiev imprisoned the owner of the factory,

Nicholas Feodorovich Zlokazov . The actual owners of the

factory were dispossessed and their places taken by an

' Executive ' Soviet . This Soviet started to rule the factory,

with Avdeiev as its head . The following workmen were next

in importance to him : The brothers Ivan, Vasily and Vladi-

mir Loginov and Sergius Ivanov Luhanov and his son Valen-

tine . The Loginovs came from the Kishtym Works of the

Ekaterinburg District . Those people, who were closely associ-

ated with Avdeiev, occupied the principal positions, were either

members of the Factory Committee and Executive Soviet or

had some other 'easy' jobs . Alexander Mikhailov Moshkin

was also on good terms with Avdeiev . As far as I remember

he (Moshkin) was born in Semipalatinsk . He was aged twenty-

seven or twenty-eight, and in appearance he was short and

sturdy looking . He was a locksmith . In April it became known

in the town that the Tsar had been brought to Ekaterinburg .

This, the workmen said, was quite necessary, as certain people

wanted to abduct the Tsar from Tobolsk, and in order to pre-

vent this they had been obliged to transfer him to a safe place

like Ekaterinburg . Such was the talk amongst the workmen.

In the first days of May, shortly after we heard of the arrival of

the Tsar, we learned that Avdeiev had been appointed to take

charge of the house occupied by the Tsar . At that time, for

some reason, this house was called 'The House of Special

Purpose . ' It was said also that Avdeiev had been given

absolute authority over the inmates of the house .

Shortly afterwards Avdeiev confirmed this news to us at a

meeting . I cannot explain the reason for his appointment .

Avdeiev was a real Bolshevik . He considered that the best

life in the world was that taught by Bolshevism . On many



262 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSoccasions he said openly that the Bolsheviks had destroyed the

rich bourgeois class and had taken all power away from Nicholas

the `Sanguinary . ' He always associated with the leaders of

the Local Soviet . I believe that because he was a violent

Bolshevik he was appointed by the Local Soviet to be com-

mandant at the house of `Special Purpose.' During the

meeting Avdeiev told us that he and Yakovlev brought the

Tsar from Tobolsk . Personally I do not know who this Yakovlev

was, but Avdeiev told us at the meeting that he was a work-

man from the town of Zlatoust . Avdeiev also said that

Yakovlev wanted to take the Tsar out of Russia, and therefore

took him to Omsk . But somehow the Ekaterinburg Bolsheviks

had got wind of his intentions and had notified Omsk . Avdeiev

lost control of himself ,'when he spoke of the Tsar . He vilified

him as much as he possibly could, and even called him `The

Blood Drinker. ' War was the chief subject of his denuncia-

tion ; he declared that the Tsar wanted the war and for three

years had spilled the blood of the ` workmen,' and he also said

that during the war a great number of strikers had been shot .

In general he talked about the things which were always

talked about by the Bolsheviks . It could be easily gathered

from what he said that because he had not allowed Yakovlev

to take away the Tsar, he had been appointed Commandant

of the ` House of Special Purpose . ' It was evident that

Avdeiev was very proud of his appointment, as when he ad-

dressed us at the meeting he promised the workmen to show

them the Tsar, saying, ` I will take you all to the house and

then I will show you the Tsar . '

Judging by Avdeiev's words at the time when he was ap-

pointed commandant of the ` House of Special Purpose,' the

guards of this house consisted of Magyars . Avdeiev spoke de-

finitely about this and said he intended to replace the Magyars

by Russians . He specially mentioned Magyar guards and no

others . Avdeiev kept his word to `show the Tsar to the



THEEXAMINATION OF ANATOLY YAKIMOV 263

workmen . ' Workmen used to visit the house, but only those

chosen by Avdeiev . He used to choose men who were friendly

with him and who did not perform guard duty in the ` House

of Special Purpose,' but who only `assisted ' Avdeiev .

These men never came to the house all together, but in ones or

twos . They did not remain in the house long, but only for a

day or two . I think that their main ambition was money .

For being at the house they received a special salary of four

hundred roubles a month, excluding an allowance for rations .

They also were paid salaries at the factory, as members of the

Factory Soviet . These workmen derived many advantages

from their association with Avdeiev .

On May 30 our Factory Committee received a letter from

Ukraintzev (the same Ukraintzev who was previously one of

our workmen, but who was now the Chief of the Central

Staff of the Red Army), wherein it was requested to detail ten

men to perform guard duty in the `House of Special Purpose . '

I was selected as one of their number .

When we arrived at Ipatiev's house the Magyar guard had

already left . The guards that were there were workmen from the

Sissert's Factory, and workmen from the Makarov's Factory,

the Isset Works and the Mint . After our arrival the Sissert

workmen remained, but the others left . Together with the

Sissert workmen we took up our quarters in the lower room of

Ipatiev's house . One could enter the upper floor from the hall .

At the time of our arrival at Ipatiev's house we had no

special leader, the parties were divided into Zlokazov or Sissert

workmen . During the first week I was the senior guard of the

Zlokazov workmen . The senior guards of the Sissert workmen

were Medvedev and anotherman . Medvedev appeared to be

a leading man amongst the Sissert workmen, and he always

gave them their orders and always answered any questions which

were addressed to him, but nevertheless he had no definite

power. Previous to this Nikiforov had occupied his position,



264 THELASTDAYS OF THEROMANOVSbut he had been taken ill and had left, to be relieved by Med-

vedev . Such was the state of affairs during the first days

after our arrival at Ipatiev's house . About a week later this

was changed : we guards were transferred to Popov's house,

and Medvedev became `Chief of All of Us . ' Three senior

guards were elected whose duties consisted in changing the

guard . I was one of them as well as Benjamin Safonov and

Constantine Dobrynin . Shortly before the murder Safonov

became ill and he was relieved by Ivan Starkov . Therefore

until the time of the murder of the Imperial Family, the senior

guards were : Ivan Starkov, Constantine Dobrynin, and myself .

The following were the duties of the senior guard : Wewere eight hours on duty : from six a.m. till two p .m . ; from

two p.m. t i l l t e n p .m . ; and from ten p.m. t i l l s i x a.m . Whenon duty we changed the guards, and now and then inspected the

sentries. We were also obliged to stay in the commandant's

room and meet all visitors to the house, the arrival of whom

was notified to us by a bell rung by the sentry .

At the time of our arrival at Ipatiev's house there were

altogether ten posts, which were located as follows :-

Post number one was situated in the first room of the upper

floor adjoining the hall .

Post number two was in the corridor that led to the bath-

room and lavatory .

Post number three was situated in the courtyard, which

faced the street by the fence gate . This gate was always closed

and had a little window made to enable the sentry to see who

came to the gate .

When we arrived at Ipatiev's house, the house was already

surrounded by two fences . The first fence was very close to

the wall of the house. It began from the side of the Vosnesen-

sky Lane, right from the wall of the house and separated the

house from the Vosnesensky Lane, turning at an angle at the

place where the Lane crossed the Vosnesensky Prospekt ;




after that it separated the house from the Vosnesensky Pros-

pekt and finished near the entrance leading to the upper part

of the house . In this way the fence made a little courtyard

in front of the house which could only be entered from the main

entrance facing the Vosnesensky Lane . In this courtyard,

near the intersection of Vosnesensky Lane and Vosnesensky

Prospekt, stood an old sentry-box .

The second fence also began from the direction of the Vos-

nesensky Lane . It began at the first fence but continued

further, turning at an angle and separating the house from

the Vosnesensky Prospekt . It skirted the gate, and finally

joined the wall of the house on the side that faced Vosnesensky

Prospekt . In this manner the second fence covered the main

entrance of the upper floor of the house, as well as the gate and

the wicket . This second fence had two gates-one facing the

Vosnesensky Lane, the second in the opposite side of the fence,

close to the gate of the house .

Both gates were shut from the inside of the fence .

At the time we began to perform guard duty, there was only

one gate which was near to the entrance of the house, the gates

that faced Vosnesensky Lane did not yet exist . They were

built when we were there, as it was found that automobiles

had great difficulty in leaving through the first entrance on

account of the steep hill . This was the reason why the gates

facing the Vosnesensky Lane were constructed . The motor-

cars entered through both gates, but left by the gate facing the

Vosnesensky Lane .

The fence close to the gate, which was built before our

arrival, had a wicket with a little window in it .

Sentry-boxes were constructed on both angles of the exterior

fence .

Post number four was situated outside the outer fence by

the wicket of the gates which were first constructed .

Post number five was situated by the sentry-box, close to



266 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSthose gates, and was placed in such a way as to enable the

sentry to observe the whole Vosnesensky Prospekt .

Post number six was situated at the other sentry-box, which

was outside the fence at the intersection of Vosnesensky Lane

and Vosnesensky Prospekt just by the chapel .

Post number seven was situated by the old sentry-box in the

outer yard, between the walls of the house and the first

fence .

Post number eight was in the garden . The sentry had to

walk round the whole garden .

Post number nine was on the terrace where a machine-gun

was mounted .

Post number ten was situated in a room on the lower floor .

At the time when we arrived at Ipatiev's house there were

altogether ten posts .

At our request we were transferred to Popov's house . The

Sissert workmen were especially insistent upon it . The houses

were far away from the town, so they were visited by their

wives, but no strangers were allowed to stay in Ipatiev's house-

the wives could not stop there . For this particular reason we

were all transferred to Popov's house .

Up to the second half of June we-Zlokazov's and Sissert's

workmen-performed guard duty on all the ten posts . From

the second part of June a certain change took place . The

reason for this was because a feeling of discontent towards

Avdeiev had arisen amongst Zlokazov's workmen, and he was

dismissed from his position of Commissar to the factory . Hestill remained Commandant of Ipatiev's house, but his following

were dismissed from all the positions which they occupied .

After that, Avdeiev took them all with him to Ipatiev's house .

These persons were the three brothers Loginov, Mishkevich,

Soloviev, Gonchkevich, Koriakin, Kracheninnikov, Sidorov,

Ukraintzev, Komendantov, Labushev, Valentine Luhanov

and Skorohodov, and all of them (with the exception of Skoro-



THE EXAMINATIONOF ANATOLY YAKIMOV 267

hodov, who fell ill and was removed to an hospital) took up their

places in the Commandant's room and the hall .

From the date of their arrival at Ipatiev's house they began

to perform duty on posts one and two . They were quartered

in the Commandant's room and the hall, and they slept on the

floor, for which purpose they were given two or three mattresses

from the store-room .

In this way we performed our duty up to the first day of

July, or approximately, up to the third or fourth of July, the

time when Avdeiev, Moshkin and the others were finally dis-

missed .

This happened in the following way :-

Avdeiev was a drunkard . He liked drinking and he never

missed an opportunity of drinking . He drank a sort of yeast

paste which he obtained at the Zlokazov Factory . He and his

followers drank in Ipatiev's house, and no sooner did the latter

move to the Ipatiev house than they began stealing the

Emperor's belongings . They often used to take various things

out of the store-room in sacks or bags . The bags were removed

by motor-car, or on horseback, to their houses or flats . The fact

of these thefts soon became the subject of conversation . Our

guards also began to mention the stealing which was going on,

and Paul Medvedev constantly spoke about it . It was also

discussed in the Zlokazov Factory, and the thieves were pointed

out as Avdeiev and Luhanov . This was certainly correct, as

Avdeiev and his gang got themselves in touch with the

workmen at the time when they were in the factory . Even

at this time all of them stuck to their easy jobs in the Committee

of Business Soviet, and money and drink were plentiful . They

continued this behaviour after they went to the Ipatiev house.

About July 3 or 4 ,at the time when I was on duty, Avdeiev

left the house . I suppose he was summoned by telephone to

the District Soviet . Shortly afterwards Moshkin also left . I

know now that he went to the District Soviet, where he also



a68 THE LASTDAYS OF THEROMANOVSwas summoned by phone . Vasily Loginov took the place of

Avdeiev . Some time after Avdeiev and Moshkin had left,

Beloborodov, Safarov, Yurovsky, Nikulin and two other men

entered the house . Beloborodov asked us who had taken the

place of Avdeiev . Vasily Loginov told him that he was

acting in the place of Avdeiev . Beloborodov explained to us

that Avdeiev was no longer a commandant and that he and

Moshkin had been arrested . The reason for their arrest was

not explained to us by Beloborodov . As far as I remember,

the same thing was told by Beloborodov to Medvedev, whoat this time also came from the Popov house . Beloborodov

explained to us that Yurovsky was to be the new commandant

and Nikulin his assistant . From this moment Yurovsky began

to give orders in the capacity of a commandant, and Loginov

and others of Avdeiev's party (I can't remember who of them,

at this moment, were in the house) were told to leave instantly .

Beloborodov, Safarov, Nikulin, Yurovsky and two men

unknown to me, visited all the rooms of the house ; they had

been in those actually occupied by the Tsar and his family,

but I did not accompany them . They did not stay long . I

believe that Beloborodov informed 'Them' of the appoint-

ment of Yurovsky and Nikulin . At that time Yurovsky ques-

tioned Medvedev about the man who performed guard duty on

the first and second posts (inside the house) . After he learned

that those posts were in charge of special persons of Avdeiev's

party, Yurovsky said, ` In the meantime you will have to

perform duty on those posts ; later I will request the Extra-

ordinary Committee to send men to guard those posts . '

In a few days those men sent by the Extraordinary Investi-

gation Committee arrived at the Ipatiev house . They wereten in number Their baggage was brought on a horse . I

could not tell where the horse or the coachman came from, but

everybody knew that the men came from the Chresvychaika

(the Institution of Secret Political Police) at the Hotel America .




I cannot explain the reason, but we used to call those men

` Letts . ' But whether or no they were actually ` Letts,'

nobody knew . It is quite possible that they were not Letts,

but Magyars .

These men took up their quarters in the lower floor of the

house, and had their meals in the Commandant's room . They

occupied a privileged position, in comparison with the rest of

us . I think it is right to say that we had three parties : the

so-called Letts, and the Zlokazov and Sissert workmen .

Yurovsky treated the Letts on an equality with himself . He

treated Sissert's workmen a little better than us, and he treated

us worse than any one . I think he looked upon us as mere

workmen from the Zlokazov Factory who had been dismissed

at the same time as Avdeiev . Medvedev also influenced his

attitude towards us . He ingratiated himself in Yurovsky's

good graces and those of Nikulin, and tried to make himself

very affable . That is why special favour was shown to the

Sissert workmen .

At the beginning, Yurovsky increased the number of posts .

He mounted another machine-gun in the attic of the house and

also established a post in the rear yard . This post was known

as number ten, and the post by the machine-gun number

eleven, and the post in the attic number twelve . All duties

on posts one, two and twelve, after the arrival of Yurovsky,

were performed exclusively by Letts .

You ask me why I volunteered to guard the Tsar ? I did

not see at that time that there was anything wrong in doing so .

As I told you before, I had read various books . I had read

Party pamphlets, and so I had an idea about the views of the

different Parties . For example, I know the difference between

the ideas of the Socialist-Revolutionaries and the Bolsheviks .

The former believe that the peasants are a working class, but

the latter consider them as bourgeoisie and believe that only

workmen are the real proletarians . My sympathies were



270 THE LASTDAYSOF THE ROMANOVSwith the Bolsheviks, but I did not believe that the Bolsheviks

could rebuild Russia by their methods of violence, which they

call the ` good ' and ` just ' l i f e . I believe that a ` good ' and

` just ' life will only exist when there are not as many rich and

as many poor people as there are at present, and this will

only come about when the population is sufficiently educated

to understand that the life which they are leading at present

is not the true one . I believed the Tsar to be one of the capital-

ists who always play into the hands of capital and not into

those of the workmen . For this reason I did not want a Tsar,

and I thought that it was right that he should be kept under

guard, or at least imprisoned until such time when he would be

judged by the nation, and when the nation should punish

him according to his crimes, after having decided ` Was he

guilty in the eyes of his people or not ? ' I thought the Tsar's

imprisonment was necessary for the safety of the Revolution,

but if I had known that he would have been killed in the way

that he was, I would have never gone to guard him . I believe

that he ought only to have been judged by the whole of Russia,

as he was the Tsar of the entire Russian nation . All that

happened I consider unjust and cruel . The murder of the rest

of his family I consider still worse . For what reason were his

children murdered'? I must also state that I joined the guard as

I wanted to earn money . At the time I was not in good health,

and so I joined the guard because I thought it was an easy job .

In this way we guarded the Tsar Nicholas Alexandrovich and

his family . They all lived in Ipatiev's house-by ` a l l ' I

mean the Tsar Nicholas Alexandrovich, his wife, Alexandra

Feodorovna, his son Alexis and his daughters Olga, Tatiana,

Maria and Anastasia .

The others who lived with them were Dr. Botkin, Demi-

dova ( ' Freylina,' we used to call her), Haritonov, the cook,

and Trupp, the waiter . The name of the waiter I remember

distinctly because the names of all the people who lived in




Ipatiev's house were written on a list which was hung up in

the Commandant's room .

Dr. Botkin was an old, stout, tall, grey-haired man . He

usually wore a blue suit, a stiff shirt and tie, and he always

wore shoes .

Demidova was a tall and stout blonde, aged from thirty

to thirty-five ; she dressed herself very neatly, not at all like a

servant, and her figure showed that she was very tightly laced .

The cook was aged about fifty ; he was a small, stalwart

man with brown hair.

The waiter was aged about sixty ; he was tall and thin .

There also lived with the Imperial Family a boy, aged about

fourteen, whose name I don't know . He was tall for his age,

and his face was pale . He usually wore a dark grey jacket and

a high collar .

I cannot tell you how the Imperial Family lived or how they

spent their time . I never entered the rooms where they lived,

and I could not see anything, as the door from the hall leading

to their room was always kept shut .

Dinner was brought to the Imperial Family by some women

from the Soviet dining-room situated at the junction of the

Vosnesensky and Glavny Prospekts, in the place occupied now

by the cinema and the Cafe Lorange . But, in Avdeiev's time,

permission was given to them to have their dinner prepared in

the house . For this purpose the provisions were brought from

the District Soviet by some special messenger . Nuns also used

to bring milk, eggs and bread from the convent . The only

thing that I personally observed in the life of the Imperial

Family was their singing . I heard them sometimes singing

sacred songs ; I especially remember the ` Heruvimskaia '

(Cherubim's) Song . But they sang also a secular song . I could

not hear the words, but the tune was very sad . This was the

tune of the song, ' A Man Died in a Soldiers' Hospital . ' I

never heard men's voices singing-only women's .



272 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSDivine service was performed in the house, but during the

whole time I was there divine service was performed only three

times . Twice the priest Storozhev officiated at the service,

and once the priest Meledin . But there were services before

our arrival . I know this because I had to get a priest to officiate

at the service . The first time Avdeiev sent me to fetch a

priest, and named the church from which the priest was to be

asked. He did not tell me the name of the priest . In the

church I learned that a priest named Meledin officiated . I

wanted to get him, but at this time he was busy and would not

come . After this I went in search of Storozhev, and I also

sought him a second time . When I was looking for a priest ,I

used to talk to the churchwarden, who stood near the candle

box . I cannot tell you who he was . But once he asked me if

he couldn't officiate instead of a priest, saying, ` I would like

so much to see the Tsar . ' In Avdeiev's time, when I was in

the house, two services were held . During the time of Yurov-

sky, only one was held . I was never present at divine service .

We were not allowed to go into the room, but Avdeiev and

Yurovsky were present at the service . I heard men and

women's voices during the service : probably they sung them-

selves . I have seen all the members of the Imperial Family,

as well as all the people who lived with them .

I used to see them in the house when they passed by and

went for a walk in the garden, as well as during the walk itself .

They passed close to the Commandant's room and close to

post number one when they went to the lavatory . They could

also go to the ` toilet ' room through the kitchen, but they

never did . If the heir went with them, they used to go for

their walk by the staircase which led down from the toilet

room, and then through the lobby that led into the yard, and

from the yard to the garden . If the heir went with them to

take a walk, they went through the main entrance to the house

to the street, then again through the gate (not the wicket) to



THE EXAMINATION OF ANATOLY YAKIMOV 273the yard, and from thence to the garden . The heir was ill and

he was carried out to his wheeled chair, which was brought up

to the main entrance . The Tsar used always to carry him .

I have never seen the heir carried by anyone else .

Personally, I could not see the attitude of people towards the

Emperor and his family, although I watched Avdeiev, who of

course had to deal with them . Avdeiev was a rough and

uncouth man . He was also a drunkard ; his disposition was

not kind . If on any occasion during the absence of Avdeiev

any member of the Imperial Family asked a favour of Moshkin,

he always said they would have to wait the return of Avdeiev .

When Avdeiev returned and their request was mentioned, his

answer was ` Let them go to hell . ' Sometimes when

Avdeiev returned from the Imperial Family's rooms, he used

to say that they had asked him for something or other, but that

he had refused . Apparently the process of refusal gave him

much pleasure, as he always spoke about it and looked very

happy. For example, I remember that he was once asked

permission to open the windows, but he told us that he had

forbidden it . I could not tell how he addressed the Tsar, but

in the Commandant's room he referred to the Imperial Family

as` they' and he used to call the Tsar ` Nikolashka .' I

have already told you that as soon as he got into the house he

began to bring in his favourite workmen, who moved into the

house altogether after being dismissed from the Committee

and the Soviet . All these people had a merry time with

Avdeiev in the Ipatiev house ; they were often drunk, and

they stole the Emperor's belongings . Once Avdeiev was so

drunk that he fell down incapable in one of the lower rooms of

the house, and at the same time Beloborodov arrived and

asked for him. Some of Avdeiev's favourites lied to Belo-

borodov and told him that Avdeiev had gone out of the house .

It appeared that he fell down drunk in the lower floor imme-

diately after he had visited the Imperial Family, whom he

s



274 THE LASTDAYSOF THE ROMANOVSactually went to see in this state . The drunkards made a

dreadful noise in the Commandant's room ; they shouted, they

slept huddled up to one another, and their habits were very

dirty . The songs they chose could not have been agreeable to

the Tsar . They sang' You Fell as a Victim in the Struggle,'

`Let us Forget the Old World,' ` Get Cheerfully in Step,

Comrades . ' Ukraintzev used to play the piano in the Com-

mandant's room and accompany the singers . As Avdeiev was

a Bolshevik and a harsh man, I believe that he treated the

Imperial Family very badly . He could not have possibly

treated them well, as it would be against his nature and be-

haviour . After I watched him in the Commandant's room, I

believe he constantly insulted the Imperial Family . I also

remember that Avdeiev talked to his friends about Rasputin .

He said much the same that other people had said and which

had been published in the newspapers .

Not once did I speak to the Tsar or to any of his family . I

met them only occasionally, and we never spoke . I once

heard the Tsar speak to Moshkin . They were in the garden .

Moshkin was sitting on a bench in the garden . The Tsar

approached and said something to him about the weather .

Although I never spoke when I met them, I have still an

impression of them that will always remain in my soul . The

Tsar was no longer young, his beard was getting grey . I have

seen him wearing a 'gimnasterka ' (soldier's shirt), with an

officer's belt fastened by a buckle round his waist . The buckle

was yellow and the belt was yellow, not a light yellow, but a

darker shade . The gimnasterka was khaki colour, the same

colour as his trousers and his old worn-out boots . His eyes

were kind and he had altogether a kind expression . I got the

impression that he was a kind, simple, frank and talkative per-

son . Sometimes I felt that he was going to speak to me . He

looked as if he would like to talk to us .

The Tsaritza was not a bit like him . She was severe looking




and she had the appearance and manners of a haughty, grave

woman . Sometimes we used to discuss them amongst our-

selves, and we decided that Nicholas Alexandrovich was a

modest man, but that she was different and looked exactly like

a Tsaritza . She seemed older than the Tsar . Grey hair was

plainly visible on her temples and her face was not the face of a

young woman . He looked much younger when you saw them

together. I positively cannot describe the way she used to dress .

Tatiana was like the Tsaritza . She had the same serious

and haughty look as her mother . The other daughters, Olga,

Maria and Anastasia, had no haughtiness about them . One

had the impression that they were modest and kind . I also

cannot describe the way they dressed, as I never noticed it .

The Tsarevich was ailing all the time . I can tell you nothing

about him . The Tsar used to carry him to his wheeled chair,

and there he used to lie, covered with a blanket . I cannot

describe his clothes .

All myevil thoughts about the Tsar disappeared after I had

stayed a certain time amongst the guards . After I had seen

them several times I began to feel entirely different towards

them ; I began to pity them . I pitied them as human beings .

I am telling you the entire truth . You may or may not believe

me, but I kept on saying to myself, `Let them escape, or do

something to allow them to escape . ' I did not tell anybody

about this feeling, but I wanted to confide in Dr . Derevenko,

who visited them about that time, but I was doubtful of him .

I cannot tell you the reason, but I said,' I don't know what

kind of a man he is . ' When he left them his face did not

express anything, and he never said a single word about them .

I am stating the whole truth . I actually wished them to escape .

When I first entered the guards I had not seen them andI did not know them, so when Avdeiev and the Tovar-

ishchi ' (Comrades) used to sing the revolutionary songs, I also

used to join in the chorus ; but after I learned how matters really



276 THE LASTDAYSOF THE ROMANOVSstood, I stopped singing, and a great number of us condemned

Avdeiev for his behaviour to the Imperial Family .

Under Yurovsky's rule we were not allowed to go into the

house . I never used to stay longer than was necessary in

the Commandant's room, as after a bell rang (an electric bell

was connected with the Commandant's room and Popov's

house) we used to enter the Commandant's room, receive our

orders and retire immediately . We seniors did not go to the

Commandant's room unless the bell rang . Medvedev always

went and we were asked for through him . Yurovsky wasalways with Nikulin, and Medvedev made great efforts to be

in their company ; the Letts from the Chresvychaika were

also always near them . That is why I cannot tell you how

Yurovsky felt about the Tsar . Avdeiev was more of our own

class, as he was a workman like ourselves, and he lived with us .

Yurovsky behaved himself like one in command, and did not

allow us to go into the house .

I can only state the fact that immediately after he took

command of the house he mounted a machine-gun in the attic

and established a new post on the rear yard . He stopped all

drunkenness, and I never saw him drunk or intoxicated . Niku-

lin was visited by a girl whose name was ' Seveleva,' but she

was never allowed into the Commandant's room . But Yurov-

sky either diminished or forbade altogether the donations of

the nuns to the Imperial Family ; and he also did something

that made the position of the Imperial Family much worse,

but what this was I do not remember . Something that I

could not understand also happened with regard to the priest .

At the time of Yurovsky there was only one divine service .

I was sent for once by Yurovsky, who ordered me to get any

kind of priest ! At first he asked me the names of the priests

who had officiated . I told him they were Father Meledin and

Father Storozhev . He then ordered me to fetch one of them .

As Father Meledin happened to be the nearest, I went to see




him the same day. In the evening I told Yurovsky that I

had asked Father Meledin to come . The next morning Yu-

rovsky sent for me and again asked me the name of the priest

whom I had told to come . I answered that I had asked

Father Meledin . Upon hearing this Yurovsky said, ` Is

that the one who lives on the Vodochnaia, where Doctor

Chernavin lives ? ' I answered that it was the same one,

after which Yurovsky sent me to tell Father Meledin not to

come . 'Go and tell Father Meledin that there won't be any

service,' he said .

`

Service is postponed . And if he should

ask you who has postponed the service, say that they did it,

and not myself . Instead of Father Meledin, fetch Father Stor-

ozhev. ' I went to Meledin and told him that there would be

no service . He asked me ` Why? ' I answered as Yurovsky

had told me, that`they' had postponed it . Directly after-

wards I went to Father Storozhev and asked him to come .

Why Yurovsky preferred Storozhev to Meledin, I don't know .

He always did as he liked, and ignored the wishes of the men .

On July 12 the men elected me instead of Medvedev to be

their chief, but on Sunday, July 14, I returned home later

than I was allowed to, so Yurovsky at once dismissed me and

appointed Medvedev to take my place .

The last time I saw the Tsar and his daughters was on July

16 . They were walking in the garden at about four o'clock in

the afternoon . I don't remember whether I saw the heir .

I did not see the Tsaritza as she was not with them .

On Monday, July 15, the boy who lived with the Imperial

Family and used to push the wheeled chair, appeared in our

quarters in Popov's house . My attention was drawn to this

fact, and probably the other guards also noticed it . But

nobody knew why the boy had been transferred to our house .

There is no doubt that it was done acting on Yurovsky's

orders . I was on duty on July i6 . My hours at that time

were from 2 p.m. to io p .m . At ten o'clock I placed sentries



278 THE LASTDAYSOF THE ROMANOVSon all the eight posts (duties on posts number one, two, eleven

and twelve were not performed by us) . The sentries I placed

on duty at io p .m. had to be relieved at 2 a.m. by the next

senior, Constantin Dobrynin, to whom I transferred my duties .

After I had transferred my duties, I went to our quarters . I

remember that I had tea, and afterwards, at about eleven

o'clock, I went to bed . Kleshcheiev, Romanov and Osokin

were in the same room as myself . At about 4 a.m . , when it

was beginning to get light, I was awakened by Kleshcheiev's

voice . Romanov and the other man, Osokin, who slept inthe same room as I did, were also awakened . Kleshcheiev

said in a frightened tone, ' Get up, you fellows, I will tell

you the news ; but get out into the other room . ' We got up

and followed him into the next room where there were some more

men, and when we were all assembled, Kleshcheiev announced,

` The Tsar was shot to-day ! ' We all started to interrogate

them as to how it happened, and he and Deriabin told us the

following story, each completing the other's narrative .

At 2 a.m. Medvedev and Dobrynin notified them when they

were standing at their posts, that they would have to perform

their duty longer than two o'clock a .m . , as during the night

the Tsar was going to be shot . After receiving this order

Kleshcheiev and Deriabin approached the windows : Klesh-

cheiev came to the window of the lobby on the lower floor

opposite the door which led to the room where the murder

took place, and Deriabin came to the window of the room which

faced the Vosnesensky Lane . Shortly afterwards (they say

it was at one o'clock a .m. by the Old Time, or a little past two

by the New Time that had been instituted by the Bolsheviks,

who changed the time two hours ahead) some persons entered

the lower room and proceeded to the room where the murder

took place. Kleshcheiev saw the procession quite well .

Yurovsky and Nikulin came in first and were followed by the

Emperor, the Empress and her daughters Olga, Tatiana, Maria



THEEXAMINATION OF ANATOLY YAKIMOV 7 , 7 9

and Anastasia ; then came Dr. Botkin, Demidova, Trupp,

and Haritonov the cook . The heir was carried by the Em-

peror . Behind them walked Medvedev and the Letts (the

ten men who lived in the lower room who had been sent from

the Chresvychaika) . Two out of their number carried rifles .

When the Imperial Family came into the room, they placed

themselves as follows : In the middle of the room stood the

Tsar ; the heir was seated on a chair to the right of the

Tsar ; to the right of the heir stood Doctor Botkin . Behind

them, against the wall, stood the Empress with her daughters ;

on one side of the Empress stood the cook and the waiter,

on the other side, Demidova .

The following people were also in the room, Yurovsky,

Nikulin and the Letts . Behind the Letts stood Medvedev .

Deriabin could not hear the words with which Yurovsky

addressed the Family, but Kleshcheiev positively affirms that he

heard Yurovsky's words, and that Yurovsky said to the Tsar

` Nicholas Alexandrovich, your relatives are trying to save

you, therefore we are compelled to shoot you . ' The same

minute several shots were heard . All the revolvers were fired .

A woman's scream, followed by the loud screams of several

women were heard after the first shots had been fired . They

executed the victims one after the other . The Emperor fell

f i r s t ; after him fell the heir . Demidova was tossing about in

agony and she was finally dispatched by bayonets . After

they fell they were examined, and those who showed signs of

life were again shot and then bayoneted . Out of the mem-

bers of the Imperial Family they said Anastasia was the most

pierced by the bayonets . After this they proceeded to search

the dead ; and they unbuttoned their clothes, looking for

jewellery . Yurovsky took away all the things which were

found on the dead persons, and carried them upstairs . Some-

body brought a few sheets from upstairs, and the dead were

wrapped in these and carried out into the yard through the



280 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSsame rooms that they had been led to their execution . From

the yard they were carried to a motor lorry which was stand-

ing behind the gate of the house . All of them were put on

this lorry and some cloth was taken from the store-room and

spread on it ; the bodies were covered with the same cloth .

Sergius Luhanov was the driver . The lorry with the bodies

was driven by Luhanov through the gates that open on the

Vosnesensky Lane . Yurovsky and three of the Letts went

with the bodies . After the bodies were taken out of the house

two Letts began to mop up the blood and wash it away with

water and sawdust .

The narratives of Kleshcheiev and Deriabin seemed so much

like the truth, as they both were so excited by everything they

had seen, that nobody doubted their words . Deriabin felt

especially upset ; he swore and called the soldiers' murderers'

and ` butchers,' and spoke about them with profound disgust .

On one of the following days, either Medvedev or somebody

who had it from Medvedev told me that Luhanov took the

bodies to the Verkh-Isetsky Works . The lorry passed by

wooded country, and then the ground began to get soft and

swampy. The lorry proceeded with great difficulty, as its

wheels sank into the mud . At last the lorry arrived at its

destination, where a hole was already dug . All the bodies

were laid in this hole and covered with earth .

What I am telling you is the truth . Neither myself nor any

other of our Zlokazov workmen knew anything in the even-

ing about the intended murder . From that evening Medvedev

never came to our quarters, and did not explain anything to us .

I admit that some of the Sissert workmen may have known

about it through Medvedev, but the Sissert workmen keptthemselves aloof from us, and we from them . Amongst the

Sissert workmen there was a greater number of Bolsheviks than

amongst our men .

Respecting the weapons which were used, I know that




Yurovsky had two revolvers, one of them a big Mauser and

the other a Nagan . Besides these, I have seen a big revolver

in the Commandant's room, and it is possible that it was a

Colt . All the Letts had revolvers, and judging by the holsters

they were Nagans . Besides which a few more revolvers were

brought from some place at the time when Yurovsky was

Commandant .

The description of the murder of the Tsar and his family

impressed me very much . I sat and trembled, I did not go

to bed, and at eight o'clock in the morning I went to see my

sister, Kapitolina, with whom I was on very good terms . So

I went to share my feelings with her : I was deeply pained in

my soul. I found my sister alone : her husband was working

in the commissariat of justice . When my sister saw how dis-

tressed I was, she asked me : ' What is the matter ? ' I

answered : ' The Tsar is shot . ' My sister said : ' Is it possible

that you were there ? I told her what I have just told you,

only not in such detail . I told her that the Imperial Family

had been shot by order of the ' District Soviet of Workmen

Deputies' ; I have the same opinion now : it is impossible that

Yurovsky did it on his own responsibility as at this time all

power was in the hands of the District Soviet . I believe that

the murder was done by order of the Soviet .

Some time previously the following conversations took

place amongst the Red Guards : 'What will happen if the

Czechs enter the town ? ' ' What will they do to the Imperial

Family ? ' Suggestions were made that they would execute

the Imperial Family .

I remember also that Deriabin said : ' Demidova had about

thirty bayonet wounds . ' I told this to my sister .

At about ten o'clock in the morning I returned from my

sister's to the Popov house . I do not remember what I did

up to 2 p.m , when my duty commenced . I placed the guards

at all the posts, and then I entered the Commandant's room .



<82 THELAST DAYSOF THE ROMANOVSThere I met Nikulin, two Letts and Medvedev . They were

not in good spirits, and they all looked preoccupied and de-

pressed . None of them spoke . A large number of valuable

things were lying on the table . These consisted of pins, stones,

ear-rings, beads and all sorts of jewels . Part lay in boxes,

which were open . The door from the hall leading to the

rooms used by the Imperial Family was closed as before, but

there was nobody in the rooms : not a single sound was heard .

Formerly sounds of life were always heard in these rooms .

There was not any life there now . Only their little dog was

standing near the door, waiting to be let into those rooms . I

remember this so well because I thought, ` You are waiting

in vain . ' , ; Before the murder there was a bed and a couch in

the Commandant's room, but at two o'clock on July 17,

when I came to the Commandant's room, I noticed two more

beds. On one of these a Lett was lying. Later Medvedev

told us that the Letts would not live any longer in the room

where the murder took place (they used to occupy that room) .

Obviously this was the reason why the two beds had been

transferred to the Commandant's room .

From two o'clock p.m. up to ten o'clock p .m . on July 17

I was on duty . But on this day I did not see Yurovsky in

the house .

On the same day Medvedev told us that we were to be sent

to the Front . So, on the morning of July 18 I went to the

Zlokazov Factory to draw the money that was due me . At

two o'clock I went on duty. On this day the Tsar's per-

sonal belongings were taken out from the Ipatiev house and

put on an automobile . Beloborodov was sitting in the auto-

mobile . A number of other things were also taken awayin carriages .

On July i8 I saw Yurovsky in the house at about six o'clock

in the evening ; he was constantly coming and going . At

about eight o'clock in the evening he called Medvedev and gave




him the money for our pay . On July 18 all the things had

been taken out of the house .

During the night of July 20, I and the other guards were

sent to the station at Ekaterinburg . A part of the guard

remained in the Ipatiev house .

At the end of July we arrived at Perm, and about a week

after our arrival we were joined by the remainder of the guards

from the Ipatiev house . All of them had been assigned to the

disposal of Gorbunov, the commissary of supplies of the Third

Army, and they were taken by steamer to Levshino . Klesh-

cheiev did not go with them to Levshino as he had to remain

at Perm on account of being ill with venereal disease .

For a month I guarded Gorbunov's steamer and ;the train

cars. On November i, by my own wish, I went to Motoviliha

and remained there . After the place came under the rule of

the Supreme Ruler I was mobilized, I participated in battles

with the Reds, and I was finally arrested .

I remember another fact about the life of the Emperor .

Once when I entered the Commandant's room, Nikulin and

Kabanov were there, and I heard Nikulin ask Kabanov what

he had said to the Tsar during his walk . Kabanov replied

that the Emperor had asked him if he had not been in a certain

cuirassier regiment . Kabanov answered that he had been,

and added that once, during the time he was in the regiment,

it had been reviewed by the Tsar . We were all surprised at

the Tsar's memory .

I could not tell what became of the boy who stayed with

the Imperial Family . On one of the days following the mur-

der I saw the boy in the distance : he was sitting in the room

where the Sissert workmen were dining, and he was weeping

so bitterly that his sobs were heard by me . I did not go near

him, nor did I ask him any questions . I was told that when

the boy heard about the murder of the Imperial Family he

began to cry.



284 THE LASTDAYSOF THE ROMANOVSOn July 17, after I became calmer in my mind, I went to

Medvedev's room . In this room I met another man who

had previously obtained supplies for the Imperial Family

and the guard . I began to question Medvedev about the

murder Medvedev told me that shortly after twelve in the

night Yurovsky roused. the Imperial Family and said to the

Tsar : ` An attack is about to be made on the house, so I

must transfer you all to the lower rooms .' They all came

down. In reply to my question who actually did the shooting,

Medvedev answered that it was the Letts . When I asked

where the bodies had been taken, he told me that the bodies

were taken by Yurovsky and the Letts on an automobile to

the Verkh-Isetsky Works and from there to a wooded place

by the swamp, where the bodies were put in one hole and

covered with earth . I remember he said that the automobile

kept on sinking in the swampy ground, and only arrived at

the grave with great difficulty .

I know that Avdeiev, before he was appointed Commandant

of Ipatiev's house, went to Tobolsk to fetch the Tsar and his

family. He was accompanied by Hohriakov, who was after-

wards killed at the Front and buried with great ceremony in

Perm by the Bolsheviks .

I also remember that when I went to Ekaterinburg I heard

two workmen saying that the Tsar had left Ekaterinburg .

All of us began to tell them that the Tsar had been shot .

I can't explain anything else . My testimony has been

read to me, and is correct .

(Signed) ANATOLY ALEXANDROVICH YAKIMOV(Signed) N . SOKOLOV



THE EXAMINATION OF PAVEL MEDVEDEV

THE deposition of Pavel Medvedev, the former workman

at the Sissert Factory, reveals a more hardened char-

acter than that of Yakimov . He regards events in the cold

light of reason, and offers no comments either of pity or of dis-

like . As he informed the Member of the District Court, the

fate of the Tsar and his family did not ' interest' him. But

it is worthy of notice that this unemotional workman insists

that he took no part whatever in the actual murder, which

implies that the tragedy was repugnant even to a man of his

type.

His account also bears the imprint of truth . It is evident

from it that Medvedev possessed no imagination, and he des-

cribes the blood-stained room, and the throbbing corpses

exactly as every-day occurrences . There is no attempt to

impress his interrogator . His standpoint is : ' I saw these

things ; this is how they happened . I have nothing more to

say . '

His account of the disposal of the corpses differs from that

of Yakimov . It agrees, however, that the route taken by the

motor lorry was in the direction of the Verkh-Isetsky Works .

On February 21, i9ig, in the town of Ekaterinburg, the

member of Ekaterinburg District Court, J . Sergeiev, examined

the under-mentioned person in the capacity of an accused, with

the application of Articles 403-409 of the Code of Criminal

Procedure . The accused deposed as follows :-

My name is

PAVEL SPIRIDONOVICH MEDVEDEVI am thirty-one years of age, a member of the Orthodox

285



z86 THELASTDAYSOF THEROMANOVSChurch . I am by birth a peasant . I worked at the Sissert

Works of the Ekaterinburg District . I have a house which

belongs to me at the works .

In September, 1914, I was mobilized and assigned to the

Opolchenskaia Druzhina (33rd Territorial Battalion), located

in the town of Verkhoturie . I stayed with the battalion for

two months. I was then discharged and exempted from

military service on account, I believe, of having been employed

as a munition worker

After the February Revolution, in April, 1917, I joined the

Bolshevist Party, and the majority of the workmen in our

works did the same . During three months I paid to the Party

treasury one per cent . of my wages . Then I ceased to pay

because I was no longer willing to participate in the activities

of the Party .

After the October Revolution, in January, 1918, I enlisted

in the Red Army, and in February they sent me to the Front

to fight against Dutov . Commissar Sergei Mrachkovsky was

in command of my detachment . We were then fighting in

the vicinity of Troitzk, but our fighting was unsuccessful, as

we did more wandering about the steppes than actual fighting .

In April I came home on leave and spent three weeks there .

In the second half of May the above-mentioned Commissar

Mrachkovsky came to our works and began to recruit work-

men for a special detachment assigned to guard the house

where the former Emperor, Nicholas II, and his family lived .

The conditions attracted me, and I enlisted . Altogether some

thirty workmen were enlisted .

On May 1g, 1918, the detachment recruited by Commissar

Mrachkovsky arrived in Ekaterinburg and was quartered in

the Novy Gostiny Dvor (new market house), where we lived

until May 24 According to the order of the Ural District

Soviet, we elected from amongst our number two senior guards .

Alexis Nikiforov and myself were elected . On May 24 our



THEEXAMINATION OF PAVEL MEDVEDEV 287

detachment was transferred to new quarters on the ground

floor of the Ipatiev house . The same day the former Emperor

with his family arrived . They were placed in the upper floor

of this house . The whole of the upper floor of the house was

at their disposal, except one room (to the left from the entrance)

which was occupied by the Commandant of the house and his

assistant. Alexander Avdeiev, a former workman in the Zloka-

zov Factory, was Commandant, and Moshkin (I don't remember

his Christian name) was his assistant . Two other men were

also quartered in the Commandant's room . I do not know

their names, but I know they were workmen from the Zlokazov

Factory .

As soon as our party had arrived at the Ipatiev house the

Commandant ordered me (as I was senior guard) to receive the

prisoners . Together with Avdeiev and Moshkin I entered the

corner room (the Tsar's bedroom) . The following persons

were there : The Emperor, his wife, his son, his four daugh-

ters, Doctor Botkin, the cook, the waiter and a boy . (I do not

know their names . ) After having counted the party and find-

ing that they were twelve in number, we left, without having

spoken to them . The Tsar's four daughters were placed in

the room adjoining the Tsar's bedroom . At first there were

no beds for them, but after two or three days beds were put

in the room . The Commandant was in charge of the internal

life in the house ; the guards only performed sentry duty . At

first the guards were on duty in three relays, but later in four .

We stayed in Ipatiev's house for two or three weeks, after

which we were transferred to Popov's house, which was exactly

opposite . A few days after this the guard was augmented by

fourteen more workmen from the Zlokazov Factory, which is

situated in Ekaterinburg. Those Zlokazov workmen also elected

their senior guard, a workman by the name of Yakimov .

There were altogether eleven sentry posts ; two were inside the

house, two by the machine-guns, and four outside the house .



288 THE LASTDAYS OF THEROMANOVSEvery day the Tsar's famil y used to walk in the garden .

The heir was ailing all the time, and the Emperor carried him

to his wheeled chair . At the beginning, the dinner for the

Imperial Family was brought from the Soviet's dining-room

but afterwards they were allowed to prepare their own dinner

in the kitchen on the upper floor . The duties of the Seniors,

who were captains of the Guard, were to take charge of the

food and supplies of the guards, to change the sentries, and

to supervise them . When on duty the Senior Guard had to

stay in the commandant's room . At first the Senior Guard

took turns every twelve hours in performing their duties .

Then a third Senior Guard, Constantin Dobrynin, was elected,

and after this we did duty in eight-hour shifts . At the end

of June or at the beginning of July (I don't remember

exactly), the Commandant Avdeiev and his assistant, Moshkin,

were dismissed (it seems that they were suspected of stealing

the Tsar's belongings), and a new commandant was assigned

named Yurovsky. The new commandant's assistant arrived

with him, but I positively do not remember his name . In

the evening of July i6, between 7 and 8 p .m . , when the time

for my duty had just begun, Commandant Yurovsky ordered

me to take all the Nagan revolvers from the guards and to

bring them to him . I took twelve revolvers from the sentries

as well as from some other of the guards, and brought them to

the commandant's office . Yurovsky said to me : 'We must

shoot them all to-night, so notify the guards not to be alarmed

if they hear shots . ' I understood, therefore, that Yurovsky

had it in his mind to shoot the whole of the Tsar's family, as

well as the doctor and the servants who lived with them, but

I did not ask him where or by whom the decision had been

made . I must tell you that in accordance with Yurovsky's

order the boy who assisted the cook was transferred in the

morning to the guard-room (in the Popov house) . The lower

floor of Ipatiev's house was occupied by the Letts from the



THEEXAMINATION OF PAVEL MEDVEDEV 289

Letts Commune, who had taken up their quarters there after

Yurovsky was made commandant . They were ten in number.

At about ten o'clock in the evening, in accordance with Yurov-

sky's order, I informed the guards not to be alarmed if they

should hear firing. About midnight, Yurovsky woke up the

Tsar's family . I do not know if he told them the reason they

had been awakened and where they were to be taken, but I

positively affirm that it was Yurovsky who entered the rooms

occupied by the Tsar's family . Yurovsky had not ordered

me or Dobrynin to awaken the Family . In about an hour the

whole of the Family, the doctor, the maid, and the two waiters

got up, washed and dressed themselves . Just before Yurov-

sky went to awaken the Family, two members of the Extra-

ordinary Commission arrived at Ipatiev's house . Shortly after

one o'clock a.m . , the Tsar, the Tsaritsa, their four daughters,

the maid, the doctor, the cook and the waiter left their rooms .

The Tsar carried the heir in his arms . The Emperor and the

heir were dressed in ' gimnasterkas ' (soldiers' shirts) and

wore caps . The Empress and her daughters were dressed,

but their heads were uncovered . The Emperor, carrying the

heir, preceded them . The Empress, her daughters and the

others followed him . Yurovsky, his assistant and the two

above-mentioned members of the Extraordinary Commission

accompanied them . I was also present. During my presence

none of the Tsar's family asked any questions . They did not

weep or cry . Having descended the stairs to the first floor,

we went out into the court, and from there by the second door

(counting from the gate) we entered the ground floor of the

house . When the room (which adjoins the store-room with a

sealed door) was reached, Yurovsky ordered chairs to bebrought, and his assistant brought three chairs . One chair

was given to the Emperor, one to the Empress, and the third

to the heir . The Empress sat by the wall by the window,

near the back pillar of the arch . Behind her stood three of

T



290 THELAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSher daughters (I knew their faces very well, because I had - seen

them every day when they walked in the garden, but I don't

know their names) . The heir and the Emperor sat side by

side almost in the middle of the room . Doctor Botkin stood

behind the heir . The maid, a very tall woman, stood at the

left of the door leading to the store-room ; by her side stood

one of the Tsar's daughters (the fourth) . Two servants stood

against the wall on the left from the entrance of the room .

The maid carried a pillow . The Tsar's daughters also

brought small pillows with them . One pillow was put on the

Empress's chair ; another on the heir's chair . It seemed as

if all of them guessed their fate, but not one of them uttered

a single sound . At this moment eleven men entered the room

Yurovsky, his assistant, two members of the Extraordinary

Commission, and seven Letts . Yurovsky ordered me to leave,

saying : ' Go into the street, see if there is anybody there, and

wait and see whether the shots have been heard . ' I went

out to the court, which was enclosed by a fence, but before I

got to the street I heard the firing. I returned to the house

immediately (only two or three minutes having elapsed), and

upon entering the room where the execution had taken place,

I saw that all the members of the Tsar's family were lying on

the floor with many wounds in their bodies . The blood was

running in streams . The doctor, the maid and two waiters

had also been shot . When I entered the heir was still alive

and moaned a little . Yurovsky went up and fired two or three

more times at him . Then the heir was still .

The sight of the murder and the smell of blood made me

sick . Before the assassination, when Yurovsky distributed the

revolvers, he gave me one, hut, as I said before, I did not take

any part in the murder . After the assassination Yurovsky told

me to bring some guards to wash away the blood in the room .

On the way to Popov's house I met two of the Senior Guards,

Ivan Starkov and Constantin Dobrynin . They were running



THEEXAMINATION OF PAVELMEDVEDEV 291

in the direction of Ipatiev's house . Dobrynin asked me

` Has Nicholas II been shot ? ' 1 answered that Nicholas II

and the whole of his family had been shot . I brought twelve

or fifteen guards back with me to the house . These men

carried the dead bodies out to the motor-lorry that waited near

the entrance, and the bodies were placed on stretchers made

from bedsheets and shafts of sledges taken from the yard .

When they were loaded on the truck they were wrapped in

soldiers' clothing . The driver's name was Luhanov, a Zlokazov

workman . The members of the Extraordinary Commissionsat on the lorry and the truck drove off . I do not know in

what direction the lorry went, neither do I know where the

bodies were taken .

The blood in the room was washed away and everything

was put in order . At three o'clock in the morning all was

finished, Yurovsky went to his room and I went back to the

guard-room .

I woke up shortly after eight o'clock and went to the com-

mandant's room . I met there Beloborodov, the President of

the District Soviet, Commissar Goloshchekin, and Ivan Starkov ;

the last-named was on duty (he was selected as Senior Guard

two or three weeks before) . All the rooms in the house were

in disorder. Things were scattered about everywhere . Suit-

cases and trunks were open . Piles of gold and silver articles

were lying on the tables in the commandant's room . Objects

of jewellery which had been taken away from the members of

the Tsar's family just before the murder, were also there ; as

well as things that were found on them after their death, such

as bracelets, ear-rings and watches . The valuables were put

in trunks brought from the coach-house . The assistant com-

mandant was present . In one of the rooms I found six ten-

rouble bank-notes under the Holy Bible and I appropriated

them . I also took several silver rings and a few other trifles .

On the morning of the 18th my wife arrived and I went



292 THELASTDAYS OF THE ROMANOVSwith her to the Sissert Works . I was instructed to distribute

wages to the families of the guards . On July 21 I returned to

Ekaterinburg All the Tsar's belongings had been already

removed from the house, and the guards had been relieved .

On July 21 I l eft Ekaterinburg with Mrachkovsky, the Com-

missar . In Perm Commissar Goloshchekin assigned me to the

party in charge of guarding our preparations for the destruc-

tion of the stone bridge in case of the appearance of the White

troops . I had not time to blow up the bridge according to

my instructions, but I did not really wish to do it, as I wished

to surrender voluntarily . I received the order to blow up

the bridge when it was under fire of the Siberian troops, and

I surrendered voluntarily .

In answer to your question as to where the bodies of the

Imperial Family were taken, I can only state the following

On the way from Ekaterinburg railway station to Alapaievsk,

I met Peter Ermakov and asked him where the bodies had been

carried to . Ermakov explained that the bodies had been

thrown down the shaft of a mine near the Verkh-Isetsk Works,

and that the shaft had afterwards been destroyed by bombs

or explosives in order to fill it up . I do not know, and I never

heard anything concerning the wood piles that were burned

near the shaft . I do not know anything more about the where-

abouts of the bodies . It did not interest me who were respon-

sible for the fate of the Tsar's Family and who had the right

to dispose of their lives . I only carried out the orders of those

in whose service I was .

The above is all that I can tell in reference to the accusation

made against me. I cannot say more . My testimony has

been read to me and it is taken correctly .

(Signed) MEDVEDEVThe Member of the Ekaterinburg Tribunal,

(Signed) J . SERGEIEV



THE EXAMINATION OF PAVEL MEDVEDEV 293

RESOLUTIONOn February 22, zgig, in the town of Ekaterinburg, the

Member of the District Tribunal, Sergeiev, having questioned

the peasant, Pavel Medvedev, prosecuted in the capacity of

being an accomplice in the assassination of the former Emperor

and the members of his family, and having adopted measures

to prevent his escape from further inquiry, has found :-

(I) That he is indicted for a crime and is liable to a very

serious penalty .

(2) That Medvedev before having been arrested, was in

hiding with the Red Army ; and previous to that, he escaped

from Ekaterinburg just before the said town was taken by

Government troops . On these counts it was resolved to put

Pavel Medvedev, aged thirty-one years, under arrest in the

Ekaterinburg prison .

The Member of the Ekaterinburg District Court,

(Signed) J . SERGEIEV



THE EXAMINATION OF PHILIP PROSKURIAKOV

THE deposition of Philip Proskuriakov possesses a certain

amount of psychological interest as the testimony of

a lad of seventeen who was suddenly confronted with death

in one of its most violent and terrible forms . Proskuriakov

appears to have been a clever, restless youth with a distaste

for settled employment, who probably enlisted in the Work-

men Guards solely in the spirit of adventure .

His story of the murder of the Imperial Family is more

horrible than the accounts given by the older men . Pros-

kuriakov's love of the morbid and his slightly decadent men-

tality are plainly shown in his account of the events of the night,

when he was awakened from a drunken sleep and ordered to

proceed to that sinister bullet-riddled room on the ground

floor of Ipatiev's house where the blood of Innocence cried to

Heaven . But his minute attention to many of the ghastly

and often irrelevant details is valuable as documentary evi-

dence, as it goes to prove most conclusively that these things

actually happened, and were retained as they happened in the

mind of a person whose neurotic temperament enabled him

to remember them accurately and vividly .

From the first to the third day of April, igig, the Investigat-

ing Magistrate for Cases of Special Importance of the Omsk

Tribunal, N. A. Sokoloff, in conformity with Paragraphs

403-409 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, examined the under-

mentioned man, in the town of Ekaterinburg, in the capacity

of an accused person, who deposed :-

294



THE EXAMINATION OF PHILIP PROSKURIAKOV 295My name is

PHILIP POLIEKTOV PROSKURIAKOV

At the time when the crime was committed I was seventeen

years of age ; I am a Russian peasant, I belong to the Ortho-

dox Church, and I am unmarried . For three years I attended

the Sissert Five Class School . My speciality is electrical fit-

tings . In answer to your questions, I reply as follows :-For many years my father acted as a foreman in the Iron

Works, and resided all the time in the Sissert Iron Works.

This was my birthplace . I did not complete my studies in

the Sissert School, but only studied there for three years .

"It was very difficult for me to learn anything, as my father

fell ill and took me away from school . At first he placed me

in the blacksmith's shop at the factory, to learn the trade,

which I was taught by Vasily Afanasevi ch Belonosov . I l e f t

after I had worked for about a year in the shop, as I found

this kind of work was too hard for me. My eldest brother

obtained a situation for me in the Palais Royal Theatre,

where I began to fit myself for the position of electrician . I

stayed there about a year, and as, by that time, I had learned

something about electricity, I started in business for myself .

Later I obtained a position in the Central Electric Plant in

Ekaterinburg . I worked there for about a month, and just

before Easter, 1918, I went home .

I remember quite well that on May 9 I met a friend of

mine, Ivan Semenov Talapov, in the Bazaar . He told me that

a certain Commissar, named Mrachkovsky, had started recruit-

ing amongst our workmen for a special detachment to guard

the Tsar . Personally, I did not see Mrachkovsky . I only

heard that he was in command of some troops fighting against

Dutov-from whence he had come here . I told my father

what Talapov had said, but both my father and my mother

advised me not to enlist . My father's words were : ' Philip,



296 THE LASTDAYS OF THE ROMANOVSdon't go ; think it well over . ' But I was anxious to see the

Tsar, so I ignored my father's advice and the next day I enlisted .

My enlistment took place in the house of Vasily Erkov, which

is on the Tzerkovnaia Street, close to the Soviet, and was con-

firmed by one of our Sissert workmen, Paul Spiridonov Med-

vedev, who told me that we were to be paid four hundred roubles

per month to perform sentry duty, but that we should not be

allowed to go to sleep whilst doing so ! Such were the condi-

tions explained to me, and I enlisted at once .

I heard at the time that thirty of the Sissert workmen had

enlisted . Later, some of them withdrew, but the number of

those who did so was small, and they were replaced by other

workmen from our factory .

Eleven of the first thirty men, so I was told, belonged to

the Bolshevik Communist Party .

In the second half of May we arrived at Ekaterinburg.

At first we were all quartered in the new ` Gostiny-Dvor '

(Bazaar House), where the soldiers of the Red Army were also

located . We stayed there a few days without doing any work .

At the end of May we were transferred to the Ipatiev house

where the Tsar's family lived . We were placed in rooms on

the ground floor .

Alexander Moshkin, formerly a workman of the Zlokazov

Factory, was in charge of the house, and our detachment was

under his orders . Medvedev was Senior Guard in our party .

He was our Chief . Nobody had elected him, but he had been

in charge of our party from the beginning, and he gave us our

pay and changed the sentries . Our pay was four hundred

roubles per month, but Medvedev received six hundred .

Avdeiev remained in the house all the time and occupied the

commandant's room . He usually arrived at nine o'clock

a.m. and left at nine o'clock p.m . Moshkin always stayed in

the commandant's room . Medvedev also stayed in the same

room with these two men and spent the night there .



THE EXAMINATION OF PHILIP PROSKURIAKOV 297The sentry posts were as follows : (i) The sentry-box near

the gate . (2) The sentry-box near the chapel (shrine) . ( 3 )

The post between two fences, by the window of the house .

(4) A post in the front court, near the entrance to the house .

(5) A post in the back court. (6) A post in the garden. (7) A

post at the entrance room of the upper floor, by the comman-

dant's room . (8) A post near the lavatory, where the lavatory

and the bath-room were located . Besides these there were

three sentry posts with machine-guns . (9) A post beside the

attic window . (io) A post on the terrace facing the garden .

(ii) A post in the middle room on the ground floor .

We had performed our duties about a week when Avdeiev

brought up about fifteen more men-all workmen of the Zloka-

zov Factory. I suppose he did this because he thought we

were overworked, as we were obliged to be on duty four hours

at a time ; it was generally raining, and we were not accustomed

to this sort of duty .

The Zlokazov workmen lived with us in the upper floor .

There were not any women in our detachment, we had our own

male cooks, who prepared our food. At first Ivan Kategov

was the cook, but later he was replaced by Andrew Starkov .

At the end of June, or maybe at the beginning of July,

Moshkin was arrested by Avdeiev, as he was suspected of

stealing a small gold cross belonging to the Tsar . At the same

time Avdeiev was also dismissed and replaced by Yurovsky .

Nikulin was appointed as his assistant .

I do not know who Yurovsky and Nikulin were . Both of

them arrived at the house together . They always remained

in the commandant's room . Yurovsky arrived in the morn-

ing at eight or nine o'clock and left at five or six in the after-

noon . Nikulin practically lived in the commandant's room,

and spent the night there . Medvedev also continued to spend

the night in the same room .

About a week after Yurovsky and Nikulin had taken up



298 THELAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVStheir duties, the Sissert and Zlokazov workmen were transferred

to the Popov (or Obukov) house, which was opposite the Ipa-

tiev house . The lower floor of the Ipatiev house was then

occupied by Letts, who were about ten in number .

Before the arrival of the Letts all sentry duties were per-

formed exclusively by the Sissert workmen . After their

arrival all the posts on the upper floor (where the Tsar's

family liv ed) were taken by Letts . We Russian workmen

were not allowed to go near the upper floor . Such were the

orders of Yurovsky .

The machine-gun teams, who performed no other duty than

that connected with the machine-guns, were composed of our

own Sissert workmen .

At the time when Avdeiev was Chief, all the other posts

were occupied by the rest of the workmen . But after the

arrival of Yurovsky and the Letts, we began only to occupy

the posts outside the house . All posts inside the house were

assigned to the Letts . Before the arrival of the Letts I carried

out my sentry duties inside the house for about six times,

keeping guard by the commandant's room and the lavatory .

I performed this duty in the morning, during the day, and in

the evening, and the night . I saw all the Imperial Family

when I was on duty . I was able to see them quite closely when

they, went for a walk or passed from one room to another .

They all used to walk in the garden, with the exception of the

Empress, who I never saw in the garden . The Tsarevich I

only saw once, when he was being carried by Olga, the oldest

daughter of the Emperor . The Tsarevich was ill all the time .

I can tell you something about the way in which they spent

their time from what Medvedev told me, as he saw them more fre-

quently than I did . They got up at about eight or nine o'clock

in the morning, and then they all assembled in one room for

family prayers . They had dinner at three o'clock . They all

dined in one room ; but by this I mean to say they dined



THE EXAMINATION OF PHILIP PROSKURIAKOV 299with the servants who had remained with them . At nine

o'clock in the evening they had supper and tea, after that

they went to bed . According to the words of Medvedev,

they occupied themselves in the following way : The Emperor

read, the Empress also read, or else she and her daughters

embroidered or knitted . The Tsarevich (when he was able)

made little wire chains for his toy ship . They walked every

day for about an hour, or an hour and a half . They were not

all owed to take any other physical exercise . I remember

that Pashka Medvedev once told me that the Tsar Nicholas

Alexandrovich asked Yurovsky's permission to work in the

garden ; but Yurovsky forbade him to do it .

I heard them singing several times, but they only sang sacred

songs . On Sundays they had divine service, which was per-

formed by a priest and a deacon, who I think came from the

Verhne-Vosnesensky Church .

At first the food was brought for them by two women from

a Soviet dining-room . Their cook heated it. Later, they

were allowed to have their food prepared in the house .

Besides the Imperial Famil y there lived with them in the

upper floor the following persons, all of whom I have seen .

There was the doctor, a stout man, with grey hair, aged about

f i f t y - f i v e . He wore spectacles, with, so far as I can remember,

gold rims . There was a waiter, aged about thirty-five, tall,

slim, and dark . A cook also stayed with them . He was aged

forty, short, thin, and a little bald ; his hair was black and he

had a black moustache . There was also a maid, aged about

forty, tall, thin, and dark ; I did not see the colour of her hair,

because she always tied a handkerchief over her head . There

was also a boy aged about fifteen, his hair was black, and he

wore it parted, his nose was long, and his eyes were black .

Two other men stayed with the Imperial Family, but, as

Medvedev explained to me, they were servants . One of them

was a tall, thin man aged about thirty-five, with light, red



300 THE LASTDAYS OF THE ROMANOVShair, who wore no beard, but who trimmed his moustache

neatly ; his nose was medium size and straight ; I don't

remember any other distinguishing marks, but his skin was as

clear and delicate as a woman's. The other man was also

tall, his age was about thirty, and his hair was black . He wasclean shaven . The first man wore a black jacket, trousers

and shoes . The second man wore a jacket, a stiff shirt with

a tie, trousers and shoes . I only saw these men once when

I was on guard in the house during the first days . After this

I did not see them again . Medvedev told me that both of

them had been taken to Number Two Prison, but I was not

told the reason, and I was not interested in knowing it . Onseveral occasions I have seen the Bolshevik Beloborodov, who

came to the house to watch the doings of the Imperial Family .

Anyhow, I was told by Medvedev that this was the reason of

h i s v i s i t s . I observed Beloborodov very distinctly . He looked

about twenty-five, he was of medium height, thin, and his face

was pale . Beloborodov v isited the house while Avdeiev was

on duty as well as when Yurovsky took his place .

Regarding the restrictions and treatment of the Emperor

and his family by the executives and guards, I can conscien-

tiously depose as follows : Avdeiev was a workman of poor

mental development who often was in a state of intoxication ;

but neither he nor the guards persecuted or wronged theImperial Famil y . Yurovsky and Nikulin behaved very dif-

ferently . During their time the Imperial Family suffered more .

They both used to drink to excess in the commandant's room,

and they sang horrible songs whilst in a state of intoxication .

Nikulin played the piano (that was in the commandant's

room), and sometimes when Nikulin was playing and Yurov-

sky's eyes were bleared with drink, they both started yelling

out songs, such as ` Let us Forget the Old World ; Let us

Shake its Dust from our Feet,' ` We do not Need a GoldenI d o l , ' ' We abhor the Tsar's Palace,' and so on . Occasion-



THE EXAMINATION OF PHILIP PROSKURIAKOV 301

ally they sang, ` You Died as the Victim of a Struggle . '

Moshkin also sang these songs, but only in the absence of

Avdeiev, who knew nothing about their doings, but the first

two men took life easil y. In Avdeiev's time women never

entered the house, but Nikulin had a mistress who came to

see him and stayed with him after Yurovsky's departure . She

was a blonde, aged about twenty, and she was short and stout ;

her eyes were brown and her nose was small and straight . I

do not know her name . I don't know where she lived or from

whence she came . Medvedev told nothing about her . At

the time of Yurovsky, divine service was performed less fre-

quently .

The behaviour of the guards under Yurovsky became much

worse. Faika Safonov, in particular, behaved most indecently .

There was only one lavatory for the Imperial Family, and

on the walls near this lavatory Faika Safonov scribbled all

sorts of bad words, which were very much out of place . He was

also seen scribbling those words on the walls near the lavatory

by Alexeiev, who was on duty on the upper floor with him

(Faika occupied the post near the lavatory and Alexeiev that

near the commandant's room) . When Alexeiev came off

duty he told us everything about it . Once Faika climbed the

fence which was quite close to the windows of the Emperor's

rooms and began to shout out all sorts of low songs .

Andrew Strekotin drew indecent pictures on the walls of

the lower room . Belomoin participated in the drawing and

he laughed and taught Strekotin how to draw more indecen-

cies. (I have personally seen Strekotin drawing those things . )

Once when I was walking near the house I saw Anastasia,

the youngest daughter of the Emperor, looking out of the win-

dow . When the sentry on duty noticed her he fired his rifle .

The bullet missed her and lodged in the woodwork of the win-

dow frame .

All these things were known to Yurovsky, but when Med-



302 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVSvedev reported Podkorytov (the sentry), Yurovsky only

answered : `They must not look out of the window . '

As I said before, from the time the Letts joined the guards,

they lived in the ground floor of the Ipatiev house, and we

workmen were all transferred to the house opposite, which

belonged to Popov (or Obukov) . In this house we occupied

all the rooms on the upper floor ; the ground floor was taken

up by tenants

The Zlokazov workmen were placed in the same rooms as

ourselves .

The last time I saw the Imperial Family (except the Emperor)

was a few days before they were murdered . On that day

they all with the exception of the Empress went for a walk

in the garden . I saw the Emperor, his son, and his daughters

Olga, Maria, Tatiana and Anastasia ; there were also the

doctor, the waiter, the cook, the maid and the boy . I noticed

that the heir wore a shirt and had a black leather belt fastened

with a small metal buckle round his waist . I saw him very

distinctly, because the Grand Duchess Olga carried him close

by where I was standing. The heir was ill and the boy

pushed his wheeled chair . I cannot tell you the exact date

when I saw them walking in the garden . But it was not long

before their death . The murder took place in the night

between Tuesday and Wednesday, but I do not rememberthe date . I know that we received our wages on Monday,

so it must have been July 15, reckoning by the New Style .

At ten o'clock in the morning of July i6, the day after we

received our pay, I was standing on duty by the sentry-

box near to the Vosnesensky Prospekt and the Vosnesensky

Lane .

Egor Stolov, with whom I shared a room, was on duty

in the lower rooms of the house . After we had finished our

shift we went with Stolov to get some drinks at 85 Vodochnaia

Street .

We returned at dusk, as we had to go on duty at five o'clock .




Medvedev saw that we were drunk, and put us under arrest

in the bath-house, which was situated in the yard of Popov's

house . We soon fell asleep, and slept until 3 a.m . At three

o'clock we were awakened by Medvedev, who said, G̀et

up and follow me.' We asked him why and where to, but

he only answered, `They have sent for you, so you must go . '

I am sure that it was three o'clock, because Stolov had a watch,

and when I looked at this it was exactly three o'clock . Wegot up at once and followed Medvedev, who took us to the

ground floor of the Ipatiev house . All the guards were pre-

sent, except those who were on duty . There was a cloud of

powder smoke in the room, which smelt strongly of gunpowder .

In the back room with the barred window, close to the store-

room, the walls and floor were pierced by bullets . In one wall

there was a large number of bullet holes, and there were also

a few bullet marks in the others . There were no marks of

bayonet strokes on the walls . In the places where the walls

and the floor showed the marks of bullets, there was also

blood, and there were splashes and spots of blood on the walls

and pools of blood on the floor . There were drops and splashes

of blood in the other rooms which we had to pass on the way

back to the courtyard . It was obvious that just before our

arrival a large number of people had been shot in the room

with the barred window . After I had seen these things I

began to question Medvedev and Strekotin . They told me

that a few moments before, all the Imperial Famil y and the

people attached to them (except the boy) had been shot .

Medvedev then ordered us to clean up the rooms . Webegan to wash the floor, and it was necessary to use several

mops in order to wash away all the blood . I cannot say who

brought the mops, and Medvedev also ordered some sawdust

to be brought . We washed the floor with cold water and

sawdust, which removed the blood-stains, and we washed off

the blood on the walls with wet rags . All the workmen took



304 THELASTDAYS OF THE ROMANOVSpart in the cleaning, except those who were on duty . A number

of men did the cleaning in the room where the Imperial Family

was killed. Amongst others I saw Medvedev and two Letts .

I also helped to clean this room, and we washed the blood from

the pavement of the courtyard . I did not find any bullets .

I do not know whether any bullets were found by other people .

When Stolov and myself came down to the lower room

we found nobody there except a few Letts . Medvedev and

our workmen were absent . Nikulin at that time, according

to Medvedev, was in the upper room, but the door which led

to the lower rooms was locked from the inside .

I saw no gold or any valuable articles which had been taken

from the bodies of the murdered people .

But I have suddenly remembered that, on the Tuesday

morning, when I was on sentry duty, I saw Yurovsky come

into the house at eight o'clock in the morning . Some time

after his arrival Beloborodov also entered the house . I left

my post at ten o'clock in the morning ; but Medvedev told me

afterwards that Yurovsky and Beloborodov went out in an

automobile. At this time Nikulin remained in the house .

Yurovsky and Beloborodov returned before evening . During

the evening Yurovsky told Medvedev that the Imperial Family

were to be shot during the night, and ordered him to notify

the workmen and to take the revolvers from the sentries . I

had almost forgotten to tell you this .

Matters were not clear to me . I couldn't tell if it was all

true, as I did not think of questioning any of the workmen .

Personally I don't understand why it was necessary to take

all the revolvers, as, according to Medvedev, the Imperial

Family was shot by the Letts, who had Nagan revolvers .

At this time I did not know that Yurovsky was a Jew . As he

was the instigator of the crime, he may have selected the Letts

to do the actual killing, having more confidence in them than

in us Russians . Perhaps for this reason he wanted to disarm




the Russian workmen on duty . Medvedev carried out Yu-

rovsky's order and took the revolvers away from the sentries,

which he gave to Yurovsky, and at eleven o'clock in the evening

he notified the workmen that the Imperial Family was going

to be shot . At midnight Yurovsky awoke the Imperial

Family, and requested them to dress and go down to the lower

room . According to Medvedev, Yurovsky explained to the

Imperial Family that there might be danger during the night,

and that in case firing were to take place in the streets, it would

be dangerous to remain in the upper floors. So as he insisted

upon everybody coming down, they fulfil led his request and

descended to the lower room, accompanied by Yurovsky,

Nikulin and Beloborodov . These persons were the Emperor,

the Empress, the heir, the four daughters, the doctor, the

waiter, the maid, and the cook . The boy, by order of Yurovsky,

had been transferred to the rooms where we were quartered,

and I saw him there before the murder . All the prisoners

were brought into the room which bore the marks of bullets .

They stood in two rows. Yurovsky commenced to read a

paper . The Emperor did not hear very well, and asked,

`What does this mean?' According to the words of Medvedev,

Yurovsky lifted his hand with the revolver, and showing it to

the Emperor, he savagely answered 'This!' `Your race

must cease to live,' he added .

I remember that when Medvedev told me about the paper

which Yurovsky read to the Emperor, he called it a ` protocol . '

As soon as Yurovsky had finished speaking, he, Beloborodov,

Nikulin, Medvedev and all the Letts fired at the Emperor and

then began to shoot at everybody else . The prisoners all fell

dead or wounded on the floor . Medvedev told me himself that

he shot two or three times at the Emperor and several of the

other persons whom they were executing .

All of them were shot . Alexander Strekotin told me himself

that he stripped the bodies of valuables, but his spoil was

U



306 THE LASTDAYS OF THE ROMANOYStaken away from him by Yurovsky . After this the bodies

were thrown on a motor lorry and taken away somewhere .

Yurovsky, Belobodorov and a number of Letts rode on the

lorry . None of our workmen went with them .

After we had finished cleaning the rooms we went into town

with Stolov, and sauntered about until evening . We did not

meet any of our acquaintances, and we did not tell anybody

about the murder. In the evening we came back to our

quarters and had some food, and then slept . At six o'clock in

the morning of Thursday, July i8, Medvedev ordered me on

duty to a post inside the house by the Commandant's room .

Ever since the arrival of the Letts not a single workman had

ever been allowed to do sentry duty inside the house whilst the

Imperial Family was still alive, but now, after they had been

killed, we were again ordered on duty inside the house .

There was no sentry near the lavatory . Yurovsky, Nikulin,

Medvedev and the Letts were already in thee house when I

took up my post . There were none of our workmen and none

of Zlokazov's . I well remember that when I came to my post

Yurovsky was in the house . Probably he had spent the night

there . They were ransacking the Emperor's belongings in a

great hurry and they were packing up all the things that

could possibly be packed . I could not hear the conversation

between Yurovsky, Nikulin and Medvedev . They were allcalm, but I had the impression that Yurovsky and Nikulin

were slightly intoxicated .

During the day nothing was taken away, and only the pack-

ing went on .

After I leftmypost I went to the guard-room where I slept,

and ate, and then I went to see mybrother Alexander who

was in the militia . I did not tell my brother anything about

the murder . I sauntered around the town until the evening

and then I returned to our quarters . In the guard-room

Medvedev told us that we were to leave Ekaterinburg .



THE EXAMINATION OF PHILIP PROSKURIAKOV 307On July zg we were sent to the station at Ekaterinburg .

Our party was told off to guard the staff of the Third Red

Army .The staff was quartered in railway-cars and we were

stationed by them . At this time I saw the Emperor's property

loaded on trucks and shipped to the station ; it was the same

luggage that had been previously packed in handbags and

trunks .

I also saw Yurovsky's departure . He left during the night

of July 21, and proceeded towards Perm . His family and

Nikulin accompanied him . All the Letts who had lived in the

Ipatiev house and who had killed the Imperial Family left

with Yurovsky. We went away from Ekaterinburg with the

staff of the Third Army, when the town was already occupied by

the Siberian forces . We then went to Perm, but when General

Pepeliaiev's troops were about to take Perm, the staff of the

Third Army and all our workmen left Perm and proceeded

towards Viatka . But I remained in Perm, and afterwards I

returned to Ekaterinburg and stopped with my brother

Alexander. The secret service learned of my presence, and I

was ordered to report myself at the police-station, where an

elderly official began to question me . I was very much afraid

and I began to lie, saying that I had never been amongst the

guards of the Imperial Family . Afterwards, I confessed that

I was one of the guards, but I denied all knowledge of anything

else . Now I have told you everything that I know about this

matter.

I fully realize how wrong I was not to follow the advi ce

of my father and mother, and to have enlisted in the guards .

Now I realize what a wicked action it was to kill the Imperial

Family, and I understand that I was wrong in washing out the

blood-stains. I amnot a Bolshevik, and I never was one .

All that I did, I did because of my youth and stupidity . If

I could help to find the people who committed the murder, I

would spare no efforts to do so .



308 THE LASTDAYS OF THEROMANOVSAll the workmen on duty had Nagan revolvers, which had

been distributed by Medvedev a few days before the murder .

Yurovsky carried a Browning pistol, Medvedev a Nagan

revolver .

I don't know what happened to the boy who waited on the

Imperial Family, and who was transferred to our quarters

before the murder . He slept on my bed and I spoke to him .

I don't know if he knew about the murder of the Imperial

Family . He did not cry and we did not talk to him about the

murder. He told me that the Commandant intended to send

him home, and he mentioned some district or other, but I have

forgotten the name . At the time he complained that Yurovsky

had taken away his clothes . I cannot name any particular

man out of the Letts .

When I was on duty inside the house, I never saw the Em-

press enter the Commandant's room . I think she never went

inside it, as Yurovsky treated them so badly . If the Empress's

rosary was found in the Commandant's room, it was most

probably left there and forgotten at the time of packing .

The Emperor usually wore a grey or black jacket with a

stand-up collar . He always wore boots and his beard was get-

ting very grey . When the Grand Duchesses walked in the

garden they wore summer clothes, chiefly blouses and skirts

of various colours .

I cannot remember anything more . My statement has been

read to me and it is correct .

(Signed) PHILIP PROSKURIAKOV(Signed) N SOKOLOV,

Present at the examination .

(Signed) YORDANSKY,Public Prosecutor.



Appendix

THE MEMBERS OF THE IMPERIAL FAMILY AT THEOUTBREAK OF THE REVOLUTION

No i . Nicholas II, Alexandrovich, Emperor of Russia, eldest sonof the Emperor Alexander III, born in Gachino (near Peters-

burg) on May 6 (i9), 1867. Ascended to the throne on October

20, 1894. Married Princess Alice of Hesse on November 14,

1894. At the outbreak of the Revolution he was forty-nine

years of age .

No 2 . Empress Alexandra (Princess Alice) Feodorovna, the wife

of the Emperor Nicholas II, born Princess Alexandra of Hesse

on May 25, 1872. At the outbreak of the Revolution she was

forty-four years of age.

No. 3. The Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaievna, the Emperor'soldest daughter, born on November 3, 1895

.

No. 4 . The Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaievna, the Emperor's

second daughter, born on May 29, 1897 .

No. 5. The Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaievna, the Emperor'sthird daughter, born June 14, 1899 .

No 6. The Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaievna, the Emperor's

youngest daughter, born on June 5, 1901No. 7 . The Grand Duke Alexis Nikolaievich, the Emperor's only

son and heir to the crown, born July 30, 1904 .

No. 8. The Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich, the Emperor'sbrother, who was considered the heir to the throne before

the birth of Alexis Nikolaievich. Born November 22, 1872

CHRONOLOGY OF THE DOCUMENTS1917

March ( 2 ) 15. The Emperor Nicholas II signed the act of abdica-

tion, assigned the throne to the Grand Duke Michael Alex-

androvich .

March (3) 16 . The Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich refusedthe succession before the decision of the Constituent Assembly

had been arrived at .

309



310 APPENDIX

March (4) 17 . Arrival of the deposed Emperor at General Head-

quarters .

March (7) 2o . General Kornilov, fulfil li ng the order of the Council

of Ministers, arrested the Empress in the palace of Tsarskoe-

Selo.

March ( 8 ) 21 . Arrest of the Emperor by a Commissar of the

Provisional Government .

March (9) 22 . Arrival of the Emperor at Tsarskoe-Selo .

(July 3z) August 13 . Departure of the Imperial Family for Tobolsk,

according to the orders of the Provisional Government, under

the supervision of members of the Petrograd Soviet .

August (6) ig . Arrival of the Tsar and the Imperial Family at

Tobolsk. A few nights were spent on board the steamer,before they were taken to the Governor's house .

(December 29) January =z, 1918 . Uprising of soldiers in Tobolsk

on account of the officiating priest reading the prayer for the

prolongation of the days of the Imperial Family.

1918

February (12) 25 . Arrival of an order from Moscow reducing the

allowances of the Imperial Family to a soldier's ration . Thecommencement of a life of privation.

(March 30) April 12 . Arrival of an order from Moscow to increase

the severity of the supervision of the Imperial Family .

April (r3) 26 . Departure of the Emperor, the Empress and theGrand Duchess Maria Nikolaievna to Ekaterinburg. Theother daughters and the Tsarevich remained in Tobolsk .

April (z7) 30. Arrival of the Emperor and the persons who accom-

panied him at Ekaterinburg. Interned in Ipatiev's house. Asearch of the Emperor's belongings .

(April i8) May i Dismissal of all persons attached to the Imperial

Family with the exception of the physician .

May (7) 20 . The Tsarevich and Grand Duchesses left Tobolsk forEkaterinburg.

May(10) 23 . Arrival of the Tsarevich and Grand Duchesses atEkaterinburg

July (4) i7 . The last day of life of the Imperial Family, and the

last walk in the garden . That night they were murdered andthe bodies searched and removed to the woods .

EXPLANATION OF RUSSIAN NAMES MENTIONEDIN THE DEPOSITIONS

KRESTY A jail in Petrograd where political prisoners were con-

fined .



APPENDIX 311

0. E. C. Central Executive Committee of the All-Russian Congress

of Workmen, Soldiers' and Peasants' Deputies. The mostimportant institution in the Soviet Republic .

CHREZVYCHAIKA An Extraordinary Committee of Inquiry-aninstitution of secret political police of the Soviet Republic,

which exists in every district town. Through this Institution,

according to the scheme of the Bolsheviks, the reign of terror

is carried out .

SISSERT'S MINING WORKS These are fifty versts from Ekaterin-

burg, and produce cast-iron, iron, marble and gold .

MOTOVILIKHAWORKS These are situated on the River Kama,

three miles from Perm. From thence came a large production

of war material .

TOBOLSK A town on the right bank of the River Irtysh, near the

mouth of the River Tobol ; it was formerly a very important

town, but after the trans-Siberian railroad was constructed, it

lost its importance as it was too far from the railroad .

ZNAMENSKY-THE IKON OF THE HOLYVIRGIN A very ancient

holy image given to the Tsar Alexis Michailovich (the second

Tsar of the Romanov Dynasty) by the patriarch of Antioch .

In honour of this image the Empress Elizabeth Petrovna builta church in Tsarskoe-Selo .

VERKH-ISSETSK IRON WORKS These are situated about half a

mile from Ekaterinburg .

THE DOCUMENT FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE URALSOVIET ACKNOWLEDGING THE ARRIVAL OF THEEMPEROR AT EKATERINBURG

THEWORKMENANDPEASANTS'GOVERNMENT

OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATIVE REPUBLICOF SOVIETS

Ural District Soviet

of the Workmen,

Peasants' and Soldiers' Deputies

Presidio

EKATERINBURG, April 30, 1918 .

On the 3oth of April, 1918, I, the undersigned, Chairman of the

Ural District Soviet of Workmen's, Peasants' and Soldiers' De-

puties, Alexander Georgevich Beloborodov, received from theCommissar of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, Vasily



312 APPENDIXVasilievich Yakovlev, the following persons transferred from the

town of Tobolsk : (i) The former Tsar, Nicholas Alexandrovich

Romanov ; (2) former Tsaritsa, Alexandra Feodorovna Romanova ;

(3) former Grand Duchess-Maria Nikolaievna Romanova-all of

them to be kept under guard in the Town of Ekaterinburg .

(Signed) ABELOBORODOVMember of District Executive Committee,

(Signed) D DIDKOVSKY

ALPHABETICAL INDEX OF NAMESAKSIUTA, Captain. In command of the First Rifle Regiment at

Tsarskoe-Selo ; he commanded the detachment of the guards

in Tobolsk .

APRAKSIN, Count. At the outbreak of the Revolution CountApraksin was attached to the household of the Empress, and

was in charge of her private affairs .

AVDEIEV, Alexander . Was formerly a locksmith, and afterwards

Commissar at Ekaterinburg from May till June, 1918 .

BENCKENDORFF, Count. He was Grand Marshal of the ImperialCourt .

BELOBORODOV, Alexander. The Chairman of the Ural Provincial

Soviet of the Workmen and Soldiers' Deputies . Upon orders

given through him the Imperial Family was assassinated .

BOTKIN, Eugene Sergeievich. A physician . Dr. Botkin stayedwith the Imperial Family from the moment of their arrest until

the time of their murder. He was shot with the Imperial

Family .

BUXHOEVDEN, Baroness, Sophie. A personal maid-of-honour to

the Empress, who accompanied her to Tobolsk .

CHEMODUROV, Terenty Ivanovich. The Emperor's valet. Hearrived with the Imperial Family at Tobolsk and stayed with

the Emperor until the Imperial Family was removed to Ekater-

inburg. He died shortly afterwards .

CHKHEIDZE A member of the Duma and one of the leaders of the

Petrograd Soviet of Workmen Deputies during the first months

of the Revolution .

DEHN, Julia, Madame. The wife of the first officer on the Em-

peror's yacht, Standart . Madame Dehn was an intimate friend

of the Empress .

DEMIDOVA,Anna. A favourite maid of the Empress . She stayedwith the Empress at Tsarskoe-Selo, Tobolsk and Ekaterinburg,

and she was shot with the Imperial Family .



APPENDIX 313

DEREVENKO, Vladimir Nikolaievich . A physician who stayed with

the Imperial Family in Tobolsk .

DMITRIEV A special Commissar, sent to Tobolsk by the Omsk

Soviet .

DOLGORUKY, Alexander Vasilievitch, Prince . Marshal of the Im-

perial Court, who stayed with the Imperial Family in Tobolsk .

DOMODZIANZ, Ensign . Of Armenian origin ; he was chosen by the

Tsarskoe-Selo Soviet to assist Colonel Kobylinsky .

DUTZMAN, Commissar to the Imperial Family . He was sent from

Omsk by the Siberian Soviet .

ERZBERG, Elizabeth . The Grand Duchesses' maid She wasparted from the Imperial Family on the way to Ekaterin-

burg .

GIBBES, Sidney . An English teacher to the Grand Duchesses and

the Tsarevich . He joined the Imperial Family in Tobolsk and

stayed with them until their arrival in Ekaterinburg .

GILLARD A French teacher to the Grand Duchesses and the

Tsarevich. He stayed with the Imperial Family in Tobolsk

and accompanied the Tsarevich to Ekaterinburg, where he was

dismissed from the service of the Imperial Family .

HARITONOV, Ivan Chef to the Imperial Family . He was shotwith the Imperial Family.

HENDRYKOVA, Anastasia Vasilievna, Countess . A personal maid-

of-honour to the Empress, who came with the Empress to

Tobolsk . Shot at Perm .

HITROVO, Margaret . Maid-of-honour to the Grand Duchesses .

She was arrested at Tobolsk.

HLYNOV A Tobolsk priest who replaced the priest Vasiliev .

HoHRIAKOV Chairman of the Tobolsk Soviet . He became Com-missar to the Imperial Family after the resignation of Yak-

ovlev.

KERENSKY, Alexander Feodorovich. Minister of Justice, and

Prime Minister of the Provisional Government .

KOBYLINSKY, Eugene Stefanovich, Colonel . He was appointedCommandant of the Garrison at Tsarskoe-Selo, and was Com-

mandant of the Palace later . He escorted the Imperial Family

to Tobolsk, and was in command of the guards until the time

when the Imperial Family was removed to Ekaterinburg .

KORNILov, Lavr Georgievich . A famous Russian general andpatriot, and a prominent name in the history of the Russian

Revolution . During the first days of the Revolution he was

made commanding officer of the forces of the Petrograd Mili-

tary District . He executed the order of the Provisional

Government for the arrest of the Imperial Family .



314 APPENDIXKOROVICHENKO, Paul, Colonel. He was made Commandant of the

Tsarskoe-Selo Palace after Kotsebue .

KOTSEBUE Captain of Uhlans, Commandant of the Tsarskoe-Selo

Palace. He was dismissed and succeeded by Korovichenko.

KUZMIN,Ensign. He was in command of the military forces of thePetrograd District after Kornilov and Polovtzov .

Lvov, George Evgenevich. He was Prime Minister of the Pro-visional Government during the first three months of the

Revolution, was imprisoned in Ekaterinburg at the time of the

Imperial Family's imprisonment in Ipatiev's house .

MAKAROV An engineer, who was attached to the Imperial Family

during their journey to Tobolsk .

MED VEDEV,Paul. Senior guard of the Imperial Family in Eka-terinburg. He took part in the murder of the ImperialFamily

MOSHKIN,Alexander. Formerly a locksmith, who became assistantto Commissar Avdeiev in Ekaterinburg. He was dischargedfor drunkenness and theft of the Emperor's belongings .

MRACHKOVSKY, Serge. A military Commissar in the Red ArmyHe recruited the men who acted as guards of the ImperialFamily in Ekaterinburg

NAGORNY, Clement Gregorievich . A personal attendant of the

Tsarevich, who was always in the service of the ImperialFamily. When the Imperial Family was removed to Ekater-inburg he was dismissed, put in prison and shot .

NARYSHKINA A lady-in-waiting to the Empress .

NIKIFORov, Alexis. Senior Guard of the Imperial Family inTobolsk .

NIKOLSKY,Alexander, Ensign. A member of the Socialist Revolu-

utionary Party. He acted as assistant to Commissar Pank-ratov in Tobolsk .

NIKULIN An assistant to Commissar Yurovsky in Ekaterinburg .

PANKRATOV, Vasily Semenovich. Appointed Commissar to theImperial Family in September, 1917, and was dismissed by the

soldiers after the Bolshevist Revolution .

PEREVERZEV, Paul Nikolaievich. A lawyer, who replaced Ker-ensky as Minister of justice and resigned on account of trouble

with the Petrograd Bolskeviks. He instituted the search of

the Emperor's papers at Tsarskoe-Selo .

PIGNATTI A district Commissar in Tobolsk. He occupied thisposition from the first days of the Revolution until the time of

the downfall of Admiral Kolchak's Government .

PoLOvTzov,General. He replaced General Kornilov as commander

of the military forces of the Petrograd District .



APPENDIX 315

PROSKURIAKOV, Philip . A workman who was amongst the guards

of the Imperial Family in Ekaterinburg .

RASPUTIN, Gregory. The notorious monk-adventurer . He waskilled two months before the Revolution .

RoDIONov The commander of the Letts detachment in Tobolsk ;

he escorted the Tsarevich and the Grand Duchesses from

Tobolsk to Ekaterinburg .

SCHNEIDER, Katherine. Court reader. She was separated from

the Imperial Family in Ekaterinburg .

SEDNEV, Ivan . A footman in the service of the Grand Duchesses .

SVERDLOV A prominent Bolshevik, Chairman of the Central

Executive Committee of the All-Russian Congress of Soviets

of Workmen, Soldiers' and Peasants' Deputies .

TATISHCHEV, Ilia Leonidovich, Count . General A.D.C. to theEmperor ; he stayed with the Imperial Family in Tobolsk and

was discharged and shot on their arrival at Ekaterinburg .

TEGLEvA, Alexandra. Nurse to the Tsarevich and the GrandDuchesses . She stayed with the Imperial Family up to the

time of their arrival in Ekaterinburg .

TRUPP, Alexis. An attendant in the service of the Imperial Family ;

he was shot at the same time as the Imperial Family .

TUTELBURG, Mary Maid to the Empress She was separated

from the Imperial Family on the way to Ekaterinburg .

VASILIEv A priest of the Blagoveschensky Church in Tobolsk, he

officiated at Divine Service in the Governor's house .

VERSHININ A member of the Duma who accompanied the Im-perial Family to Tobolsk as Commissar of the Provisional

GovernmentVOLKOV,Alexis . A servant who was discharged and re-arrested on

the arrival of the Imperial Family at Ekaterinburg .

VYRUBOVA, Anna A maid-of-honour and a personal friend of

the Empress .

YAKIMOV, Anatoly . A workman, who was a senior guard of theImperial Family in Ekaterinburg.

YAKOVLEV A Bolshevik Commissar, who replaced Pankratov on

April 9 (22), 1918 . Came from Moscow to Tobolsk and wentback on account of trouble with the Ekaterinburg Bolsheviks,

who had seized the persons of the Imperial Family.

YUROVSKY,Commandant The jailer and the executioner of the

Imperial Family .



INDEX

317

Agafonov, 92-3Aksiuta, Capt ., 173. 204. 312

Alexandra, Empress-rrest by Kornilov, 50-1, 168-atred of Germany and Kaiser,

Bolshevists, 21-6, 30, 48-9, 52, 72,

go, 128-30

Boris, Grand Duke, 183Borunov, 122Botkin, Dr., 34, 53. 6o, 70, 76-7, 87,

31, 37 89, 116-7, 184, 209, 217-9, 238,271. 312rivate life and character, 33-8,

219-22 Boyard, 147Brasova, Countess, 121-2

Brest-Litovsk Treaty, 14, 22, 25, 56,

69-70, 14 2 , 149, 206, 231-2, 242

Buxhoevden, Baroness, 212, 214,

229, 237, 312

Chelyshev, 122-4, 128Chemodurov, 70, 76-7, 184, 186,

209, 216, 224, 238-9, 253 . 315

- Various references, 9, 32-3, 44-5 ,

58, 62-3, 69-70, 78, 89, io6,157, 172, 209, 224, 226,

256-7. 274-5, 312Alexeiev, 23, 48, 100, 143

132,

247,

182,

234,

Alexis, Tsar's heir, 29, 35, 53 . 63-6 ,

68, 72, 87, 89, 91, 117, 177,

184, 186, 191, 221, 225,242. 249 . 252. 255-7

Alston, Mr., 122Anastasia (Montenegro), 41 . 49

Anastasia, Tsar's youngest daughter,

6o, 73, 76, 90, 95, 114, 158, 1 72,

Chernavin, Dr., 277Chkheidze, 52, 173 . 315

Cbrezvychaika, 25, 27-8. 31. 75 . 78,85, 87, 104, 122, 126, 140, 161,

268, 276, 311186, 221, 242, 255, 279, 301

Ania, 172

Anichkoff, General, 197

Appelbaum, 129Apraskin, Count, 170, 179, 312

Avanesov . See OvanesovAvdeiev, Alexander, 67, 75-6 , 78,

Chustkevich, 140

Cologne Gazette, 43Communists, 212Constantine, Prince, 124

Degtiarev, 66-7, 204

80-3, 154, 201-4, 212, 238, Dehn, Julia, 174, 258, 312

259-62, 266-8, 272-3, 276, 284, Dekonsky, Ensign, 181287, 296-7, 300, 312 Demidova, 70, 74, 76, 87-90, 116,

184, 186, 200, 235, 271, 312

Badmaiev, 36, 43, 45 Derevenko, Dr ., 6o, 81, 83, 237, 275 ,

Baltic Fleet, 215 312Beloborodov, 28, 86, 98, 101, 104, Disler, 200, 208

127, 1 40, 145, 147, 151, 153-4, Diterichs, General, 14-16, 105, 108,

211, 291, 300, 304, 311-12 127, 156

Benckendorff, General, 169-70, 182, Ditveiler, 251

Dmitri, Grand Duke, 124, 127, 226,199, 312Bittner, Madame, 6o, 70, 244-5 258, 312

Bloody Sunday, 32Bolshevism defined, 269

Dmitriev, 212

Dobrynin, 264, 278, 288, 290-1

Bolshevist report of 'trial' of Dolgoruky, Prince, 53, 6o, 63, 69,

Tsar's ' murderers,' 21 70, 75 -6, 125, 130, 170-1, 182,-eport of Tsar's death, 98-,o1 184, 188, 197, 199 -200, 209, 211,

revolution, 23, 193, 229, 248 216, 229, 231, 235, 312



318

Domodzianz, Ensign, 177-8, 312Domontovich, ,o8, 116Dorofeiev, 198

Dutzman, 65. 200-1, 313

291-2Gorbunov, 283Guchkov, 51, 100, 131, 232

Guseva, 46

Hxmophilia, 33Haritonov, 6o, 76, 85, 87 , 1 97, 2 37,

313Heine, 118

Hendrykova, Countess, 53, 6o, 64,125, 128-30, 184, 186, 200, 217,

237-40, 245 . 313Hermogen, Bishop, 195Hesse disease, 33-4, 219Hitrovo, Margaret, 178, 183, 222, 313

Hlynov, Father, 195. 3 1 3

Hohriakov, 73-4, 212-5, 236, 250,

284,313House of Special Purpose. ' See

Ipatiev's House

Igor, Prince, 124

Iliodor, 43 . 46

Ilmer, 135

loan, Prince, 1 24-5

INDEXIpatiev's House, 18-19, 32 . 39. 75-6 ,

94. 97 , 104 . 114, 125, 130. 133,

155 . 157, 216, 237-9. 253, z63-5 ,

294-6

Lazarev, Col ., 170

Lebedev, 209-11Lenin, 9, 22-7, 121, 128, 232, 239

Letemin, 94Letts,' 82-3. 85 -90, 97, 120, 125,

129. 153. 166, 212-3, 222, 236,269, 276, 284, 298, 304-5 . Seealso Magyar Guards

Loginov, 268Lokhvitsky, 16Ludendorff, 14, 22-5. 43, 142, 150,

152Lupin, 193. 199 . 203Lvov, Prince, 100, 174 252

. 313

Magyar Guards, 82-3, 262, 269 . Seealso ' Letts

Makarov, Paul M., 181-z, 184-6,228, 314

Manchester Guardian, IooMaria, Tsar's third daughter, 70, 73,

171-2, 186, 209, 220, 226, 234,

242, 249. 255Masaryk, Professor, 24

Maslovsky, Col . , 52

. 173

Efimov, Ensign, 179-8o, 184-5

Efremov, 140Ekaterinburg, 13, 75-93, passim-olshevists and Soviet, 71-2, 211

Elena, Princess, 124, 1128

Eli zabeth, Grand Duchess, 124, 157

Jemmy,' a spaniel, 95, 115 . 157

Jewish part in the murders, etc . , 2 7 ,

125 . 148, 154, 161, passimJohnson, Mr., 120, 122-3, 1 83-4

Joy,' Alexis's spaniel, 94. 1 57

Judges ' of the Tsar, 139

Ermakov, 87-90, 97, 1o6,

Ertel, Engineer, 182

Erzberg, Elizabeth, 114,

109, 292Kalinin, 161

Kanegisser, 148

Kerensky, 48, 51-4, 63, 100, 1 74 ,

184, 186,

200, 313

178-97, 226-7, 232, 244, 3 1 3Feofan, 40

Fesenko, 112-3, 142

Gaida, 18, 133-4, ,6oGerman Government's help to Revo-

Knox, General, 137Kobyli nsky, Col ., 50, 52, 61-2, 66-9,

166, 226-8, 231-5 . 313-epositions, 167-223

Kolchak, Admiral, 15--16, io8, 134,

lutionists, etc ., 27, 131-2, 1 47- 136, 156

Kornilov, General, 50, 168-70,

226, 243 . 313

Kornilov House, 58, 65-6, 186,

228

172,

2o6,

151, passimGerman-Magyar Guard, 29German plan to restore Tsar, 29Gibbes, Sidney, 56, 6o, 117, 166, zoo,

2 37, 313 Korovi chenko, Col ., 51, 174-5 . 226-7,

- Deposition, 242-58 313Gillard, P. A ., 56, 6o, 166, 177, 184, Kotsebue, Capt ., 169, 1 73-4 ,

226,

186, 188, 197, 202, 207 , 243, 313

245,313 Koupchinsky, 172224-4127-8, 75. 79. 84,

- Deposition,Goloshchekin, 86,

Krasnov, 23Kuzmin, Ensign, 182, 313

98, 127, 138-40, 151-4, 211,



Matveiev, 193, 201, 203 . 211, 215

Medvedev, Pavel, 78, 81, 85-97, 16o,

166, 263-4, 267, 276-7, 293,296-300, 314-Examination of, 285-92

Mejanz, 184Meledin, Father, 272, 276-7

Mesiankin, 185

Michael, Grand Duke, 54 72, 120-4,

128, 183-4, 240, 309

Mihailovna, Maria, 132

Mikhailovich, 127

Mil itza, Grand Duchess, 41 . 49Mirbach, Count, 22-27, 72, 134,

151. 153Mordvinov, 258Moscow Central Executive Com-

mittee, passimMoshkin, 78. 154. 261, 267-8, 274,

287, 296-7. 301, 3 1 4Moundel, Lieut ., 185

Mrachkovsky, 286, 292, 295, 3 1 4

Nabokov, 209-11Nagorny, 76, 184. 214-5, 236-8 . 245,

252 . 314

Naryshkina, 52, 314Nicholas II-

-bdication, 226, 248-llowance restricted, 63, 199, 230

- Bolshevist report of ' trial ' of

` murderers,' 21, 140-1

Diary, extract from, 99-100

Ekaterinburg, life at, 210-38,

passimExecution,' report of, 143 . 217Fortune in England, 156German precautions against es-cape, 30

Hatred of Germans, 218, 232Life and character, 257-8, passimLoyalty to Allies, 9, 14, 32 -3Mock funeral, 102

Moscow, journey to, 65-72Murder of, 89, 279, 290

Official statement of death byMoscow Government, 14Official statement of death byReds, 17, 98-9

Order of the Day to Army onAbdication, 47-8-Private papers seized, 175-Refused permission to go tochurch, 195, 230-Refusal to leave Russia, 31

- Removal from Tobolsk, 25-Removal from Tsarskoe-Selo, 54- Suite at Tobolsk, 187-8, 199, 228

Tobolsk, life at, 188-213. 245

142,

INDEX 319

Nicholas II (continued)-

- ` Trial' report, 21, 140-1-arious references throughout the

bookNicholas, Grand Duke, 49Nikiforov, 263, 286 .

Nikolsky, 61-2, 65 . 134 190-2, 196,

212, 229, 248, 314

Nikulin, 85, 89, 268, 297, 300-1, 304314

Okhrana, 26, 32, 82

Olga, Tsar's oldest daughter, 64, 73,

114, 171-2, 178, 188, 213, 216,

220 . 245 . 253-4Omsk Bolsheviks and Tribunal, io8,

134, 136-8, 201, 215

Ovanesov, 202

Pankratov, 61-2, 65, 190-4, 196 . 229,

248. 314Papus, 45Paul, Grand Duke, 50, 124, 127Pecherkin, 40

Peissel, 200, 208

Pereverzev, 175, 314

Perm, 91Peter, Tsar's brother,

Peters, 128

Petrovsky, 129-30Philippe, 45

Pignatti, 193 . 314Pisarevsky, 192, 196

Poincar6, President, 225

Polovtsov, General, 176

Popov, 86, 266Pravda, 21, 102, 104. 144Prayer transcribed by Grand

Duchess Olga, 64Preston, Mr., 31, 126, 130Proskuriakov, 90, 93-4 . 3 1 4-xamination of, 294-308Protopopov, 50Pskov, 69, zoo

Purishkevitch, 45-6

Rasputin, 19, 31-2, 34-46, 57 -8, 63,

131, 209, 221, 258 . 274, 314-emoval of body, 171-2Remes, S. M., 125Ressin, General, 169

Ritzler, Dr ., 142, 153

Rodionov, 73-6, 196, 212-5, 236-7,

251. 314Rodzianko, 69, 99, 2o6

Ruzsky, General, 99Rybakov, 195

Sablin, 258

49

the last days of the romanovs-robert wilton and depositions of eye witnesses-1920-350pgs-pol

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